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UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 

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VISIT    TO    NAHANT, 


BEING  A  SEQUEL 


WONDERS  OF  THE  DEEP 

BY  A   LADY. 


NEW-YORK: 

PUBLISHED  BY  THE  GEN.  PROTESTANT  EPISCOPAL 

SUNDAY    SCHOOL 

UNION. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1839, 
by  John  W.  Mitchell,  (as  Treasurer  of  the  General  Pro- 
testant Episcopal  Sunday  School  Union,)  in  the  Office  of"  the 
Clerk  of  the  Southern  District  of  New- York. 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT; 

A  SEQUEL  TO  THE  WONDERS  OF  THE  DEEP. 
BY  A  LADY, 


Job  38:  16.    "Hast  thou  entered  into  the  springs  of  the  sea? 
or  hast  thou  walked  in  the  search  of  the  depth  V 


CHAPTER  I. 


"  The  helm  to  his  strong  arm  consigned, 
Gave  the  reefed  sail  to  meet  the  wind, 

And  on  her  altered  way, 
Fierce  bounding,  forward  sprung  the  ship, 
Like  greyhound's  starting  from  the  slip, 

To  seize  the  flying  prey. 
Awaked  before  the  rushing  prow, 
The  mimic  fires  of  ocean  glow, 

Those  lightnings  of  the  wave ; 
Wild  sparkles  crest  the  broken  tides, 
And  flashing  round  the  vessel's  sides, 
With  shining  lustre  lave. 
&*»  While  far  behind,  their  livid  fight, 

^V  To  the  dark  billows  of  the  night, 

^  A  gloomy  splendor  gave ; 

*•»  1* 


6  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT 

It  seems  as  if  old  ocean  shakes 
From  his  dark  brow  the  livid  flakes, 

In  envious  pageantry, 
To  match  the  meteor  light  that  streaks 

Grim  Hecla's  midnight  sky." 

On  a  bright  afternoon  in  the  summei  of 

1830,  the  steamboat  C 1  left  the  harbor 

of  New- York  for  Providence,  R.  I.,  having 
her  deck  crowded  with  passengers.  Some 
of  these  individuals  were  carried  to  the 
North  by  business,  some  went  in  the  pur- 
suit of  health,  while  others  still,  were  only- 
actuated  by  a  restless  desire  of  change. 
Among  the  former  class  was  a  lady  of  the 
name  of  Stanley,  with  her  son  and  two 
daughters,  who  were  returning  from  New- 
York,  to  their  residence  in  Massachusetts, 
from  whence  the  mother  had  been  sum- 
moned by  business  of  importance.  This 
had  been  satisfactorily  arranged,  and  the 
youthful  members  of  the  family  were  ani- 
mated with  innocent  joy,  as  they  contem- 
plated the  pleasant  journey  which  was  be- 
fore them ;  more  particularly,  as  a  sea- voy- 
age was  a  novelty  to  them,  for  they  had 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT  7 

made  an    inland  journey  from  Boston  to 
New- York. 

At  the  hour  of  4,  p.  m.,  the  vessel  was 
released  from  her  hold  on  the  wharf,  and 
proceeded  on  her  course,  between  the  beau- 
tiful banks  of  the  East  river,  which  are 
studded  with  charming  country  seats,  and 
pleasant  villages.  After  a  short  time  had 
elapsed,  preparations  were  made  for  pass- 
ing through  Hurl-gate ;  this  strait,  how- 
ever, no  longer  inspires  the  terror  that  it 
did  in  former  days,  and  which  is  implied  in 
its  vulgar  name,  for  the  modern  navigator 
has  learned  how  to  disarm  it  of  its  terrors, 
by  passing  it  when  the  tide  covers  the  for- 
midable rocks. 

When  Mrs.  Stanley  pointed  out  to  her 
children  that  part  of  the  strait  designated 
so  long  as  the  pot,  or  caldron,  her  son  re- 
marked, "  This  is  certainly,  dear  mother,  no 
longer  an  object  of  terror,  but  it  interests 
me  much  because  it  is  the  first  whirlpool  I 
have  ever  seen ;  and  while  I  watch  the 
water  which  is  eddying  round  so  quickly,  I 
think  I  can  form  a  better  idea  of  the  formi- 


8  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

dable  Maelstrom  on  the  coast  of  Norway, 
the  accounts  of  which  have  so  often  filled 
my  mind  with  terror." 

"You  imagine  that  you  understand  it 
better.  Edward,"  replied  his  mother,  "but 
the  awful  reality  of  that  scene,  is  said  to  be 
inconceivable  by  those  who  have  never 
witnessed  it.  The  Maelstrom  is  one,  among 
the  many  sublime  spectacles  which  God 
has  permitted  to  exist  in  our  world,  to  show 
us  what  immense  and  resistless  power  He 
can  impart  to  mere  material  objects  when 
He  wishes  to  do  so.  When  we  think  of 
our  entire  helplessness,  and  inability  to  re- 
sist such  a  force  as  that  imparted  to  the 
waters  of  the  Maelstrom,  or  the  torrent  of 
Niagara,  which  force  has  been  communi- 
cated by  the  Creator,  should  it  not  make  us 
tremble,  and  fear  exceedingly  to  provoke 
the  wrath  of  that  great  and  glorious  God, 
when  He  shall  come  in  all  His  majesty  to 
judge  the  world  ? 

"  I  remember  reading  an  account  of  the 
tragical  fate  of  a  vessel  which  was  unwarily 
drawn  within  the  attractive  power  of  the 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  9 

current  of  which  we  have  been  speaking. 
There  was  another  ship  near,  which  had 
sailed  in  company — they  were  separated ; — 
one  of  the  crew  of  the  vessel  which  was 
spared,  when  giving  the  detail,  remarks, 
that  their  horror  was  extreme,  when  they 
saw,  from  a  distance,  the  companions  of 
their  voyage  drawn  into  the  devouring 
Maelstrom:  they  beheld  them  in  anguish 
as  their  sails  went  fluttering  in  the  circling 
eddies  of  the  whirlpool,  whose  power  is  be- 
yond the  resistance  of  human  art ;  they  saw 
them  drawn  nearer,  and  nearer,  till  finally 
they  were  entirely  concealed  in  the  distant 
horizon,  and  the  unhappy  crew  went  down 
amidst  the  dark  vortex  and  awful  moans  of 
the  Maelstrom.  This  awful  spot  seems  to 
me  a  fit  emblem  of  the  dreadful  abode, 
where  the  impenitent  will  be  consigned  to 
the  'blackness' of  darkness  forever.5  When 
we  consider  this  solemn  subject,  let  us  pray, 
my  beloved  children,  that  we  may  all  be 
kept  from  the  bitter  pains  of  eternal  death. 
Look  at  those  agitated  waters,  and  remem- 
ber that  God's  word  declares  the  unrenew- 


10  A  VISIT  TO  NAHAIS'T 

ed  heart  of  man  is  like  a  troubled  sea, 
whose  waves  cast  up  mire  and  dirt  con- 
tinually. Good  bishop  Leighton  compares 
the  heart  of  the  Christian,  and  that  of  the 
sinner,  to  two  wells  of  water,  the  latter  of 
which  has  mud  and  dirt  at  the  bottom. 
When  nothing  disturbs  them,  they  may 
both  appear  calm  and  clear  at  the  surface, 
but  only  let  some  temptation  occur  to  stir 
up  the  water,  and  then  the  difference  will 
be  apparent ;  one,  though  agitated,  will  re- 
tain its  beauty,  while  the  other  will  become 
muddy  and  offensive." 

The  steamboat  C 1  at  the  time  we  re- 
fer to  was  sadly  out  of  repair,  and  she  la- 
bored along  very  slowly,  causing  great  dis- 
satisfaction to  many  of  the  passengers.  The 
Stanley  family,  however,  were  not  among 
the  number,  and  as  the  twilight  deepened 
into  the  darkness  of  evening,  they  were 
still  to  be  seen  on  the  deck,  surrounding 
their  mother,  eagerly  intent  upon  watch- 
ing the  beacon  fires,  as  they  were  kindled 
one  after  another,  in  the  numerous  light- 
houses that  enliven  the  shores  of  Connecticut 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  11 

Emma,  the  eldest  daughter  of  Mrs. 
Stanley,  expressed  her  regret  that  they 
should  have  no  moon  on  that  evening  to 
add  to  the  beauty  of  the  scene.  Her  mo- 
ther smiled,  and  replied,  "  I  think  it  proba- 
ble, Emma,  that  I  shall  find  you,  before 
long,  congratulating  yourself  on  the  ab- 
sence of  the  moon.  You  are  incredulous  ; 
perhaps  Edward  can  explain  the  reason 
why  I  anticipate  pleasure  from  the  dark- 
ness of  the  evening  ?" 

He  paused  a  few  moments,  and  then  de- 
clared that  he  could  not  imagine  to  what 
his  mother  referred. 

"  Do  you  not  remember,"  said  his  mother, 
«  one  day  last  winter,  reading  to  me  from 
Stewart's  Journal,  an  account  of  the  lu- 
minous appearance  which  the  sea-water 
presented,  during  his  voyage  in  the  Pacific, 
and  a  conversation  which  took  place  be- 
tween us  on  that  occasion  ?  I  told  you  then 
that  I  would,  at  some  leisure  moment,  read 
to  you  a  very  satisfactory  explanation  of 
this  phenomenon  of  the  sea,  which  I  had 


12  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

met  with  in  the  travels  of  the  Abbe  Spal- 
lanzini." 

"  I  now  recollect  the  fact  distinctly,  mam- 
ma," replied  Edward,  "  and  .we  shall  all  of 
us  be  very  happy  to  hear  any  thing  farther 
from  Spallanzini :  at  least,  if  it  is  as  inter- 
esting as  his  history  of  the  coral  insect,  and 
the  coral  fishery,  which  you  related  to  us 
during  our  visit  to  the  sea-shore."* 

"  At  present,"  said  his  mother,  "  you 
must  try  to  be  contented  with  observing 
this  phenomenon  for  yourselves,  and  you 
will  then  be  better  prepared  to  listen  to  the 
description  of  our  friend  the  traveller." 

The  passengers  of  the  C 1  were  at 

this  moment  summoned  to  the  supper  ta- 
ble, and  when  they  returned  to  the  deck, 
the  darkness  had  very  much  increased, 
and  the  young  Stanleys  had  an  opportunity 
for  gratifying  their  curiosity. 

Their  mother  led  them  to  the  stern  of 
the  vessel,  and  as  she  did  so,  expressions  of 

*  For  this  account  of  the  labors  of  the  coral  worm,  see 
"  Wonders  of  the  Deep,"  published  by  the  P.  E.  S.  S. 
Union,  forming  volume  50  of  their  library. 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  13 

delight  burst  from  their  lips  at  the  beauty 
of  the  scene.  The  deep  blue  of  the  heavens 
was  studded  with  innumerable  stars  ;  and 
on  turning  their  eyes  from  thence,  to  the 
dark  expanse  of  water,  through  which  the 
vessel  was  ploughing  her  way,  they  beheld 
the  path  she  had  lately  traversed,  marked 
by  a  track  of  fire :  the  foaming  waves, 
which  rushed  from  under  the  massy,  re- 
volving wheels  of  the  C 1,  were  crest- 
ed with  light,  and  as  the  spray  scattered 
its  thousand  tiny  drops  in  every  direction, 
they  glowed  like  golden  spangles  in  the 
sunbeams. 

"  Oh !  mother,"  "  dear  mother,"  exclaim- 
ed Emma  and  Anna  Stanley,  as  in  their  ex- 
citement of  feeling  they  spoke  both  at  once. 
"  you  were  indeed  right,  this  scene  is  more 
beautiful  and  gratifying  than  one  by  moon- 
light could  have  been,  and  we  long  to  know 
what  produces  this  extraordinary  light." 

"  I  can  only  tell  you  now,  that  it  is  sup- 
posed to  be  caused  principally  by  those  ma- 
rine insects  called  medusas,  to  some  species 
of  which  the  Calabrian  seamen  give  the 


14  A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT. 

expressive  name  of  Candellivri  di  Mari,  or 
Candles  of  the  Sea." 

"  Can  this  be  possible,  mamma !"  said 
Emma;  "  my  patience  will  be  indeed  put  to 
the  test,  till  I  can  hear  their  history." 

Much  dissatisfaction  was  expressed   by 

many  of  the  passengers  of  the  C t,  when 

the  noise  of  hammers  resounded  through 
the  vessel  during  the  evening ;  and  still  in- 
creasing murmurs  were  heard,  when  it  was 
discovered  that  the  Captain  considered  it 
prudent  to  anchor  during  the  night  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Thames.  Edward  and 
his  sisters,  however,  considered  the  suspen- 
sion of  their  voyage,  so  far  as  they  were 
concerned,  a  subject  for  congratulation, 
since  it  would  enable  them  to  enjoy  the 
scenery  by  daylight.  The  vessel  rolled 
much  during  the  night,  but  this  only  dis- 
turbed for  a  short  time  the  slumbers  of  the 
young  travellers,  and  they  returned  before 
sunrise  to  the  deck,  with  renewed  life  and 
spirits.  The  landscape  before  them  was 
glowing  with  beauty  ;  in  front  of  the  ves- 
sel lay  "  the  glad  waters  of  the  dark  blue 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  15 

sea ;"  the  huge  waves  were  rolling  their 
heavy  masses  of  water  towards  them,  as  if 
to  punish  the  presumption  of  those  who 
had  ventured  to  navigate  its  boundless  sur- 
face ;  in  the  far  horizon  appeared  Block 
Island,  only  distinguishable  from  the 
neighboring  piles  of  fleecy  clouds,  by  its 
remaining  stationary  ;  to  the  right,  was 
discernible  the  dim  outline  of  Montauk 
Point,  as  it  bounded,  with  its  streak  of  blue, 
the  ocean  to  the  southeast ;  while  to  the 
left  extended  the  shores  of  Connecticut, 
with  the  two  lighthouses  which  mark  the 
sides  of  the  Thames,  as  it  empties  its  tribute 
of  waters  into  the  Sound,  and  at  a  little 
distance  the  picturesque  group  of  islands, 
of  which  Fisher's  is  the  largest  ;  behind 
them,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  was  to 
be  seen  the  beautiful  Sound,  through  which 
they  had  passed  on  the  day  previous.  While 
Edward  and  his  sisters  were  gazing  in  si- 
lent admiration  on  the  lovely  prospect,  the 
sun  peeped  like  a  golden  crescent  from  the 
bosom  of  the  mighty  deep,  expanding  each 
instant  more   and  more,  until  his  whole 


16  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

disk  appeared,  throwing  a  rosy  tint  over  the 
white  crests  of  the  waves,  and  coloring 
also  the  light   and  fleecy  clouds.     Before 

many  hours  had  elapsed,  the  C 1  was 

doubling  Point  Judith,  and  reeling  to  and 
fro  in  the  formidable  waves,  which  are 
almost  always  to  be  met  with  at  that  part 
of  the  coast.  Soon  after,  she  was  navigating 
the  beautiful  waters  of  Narraganset  Bay, 
and  Providence  river,  and  when  night 
closed  in,  it  found  Mrs.  Stanley  and  her 
children  comfortably  sheltered  under  the 
roof  of  her  brother,  Mr.  Benson,  who  was 
an  inhabitant  of  Boston,  the  justly  cele- 
brated capital  of  the  North.  \ 


CHAPTER  11. 

"  The  floor  is  of  sand,  like  the  mountain  drift, 

And  the  pearl-shells  spangle  the  flinty  snow  ; 
Prom  coral  rocks,  the  sea-plants  lift 

Their  boughs  where  the  tides  and  billows  flow ; 

The  water  is  calm  and  still  below, 
For  the  winds  and  waves  are  absent  there ; 

And  the  sands  are  bright  as  the  stars  that  glow 
In  the  motionless  fields  of  upper  air ; 


A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT.  17 

There  with  its  waving  blade  of  green, 
The  sea-flag  streams  through  the  silent  water, 

And  the  crimson  leaf  of  the  dulse  is  seen 
To  blush  like  a  banner  bathed  in  slaughter." 

When  Mrs.  Stanley  arrived  at  the  house 
of  Mr.  Benson,  she  found  him  preparing  to 
remove  to  his  pleasant  cottage  at  Nahant 
during  the  hot  months,  and  at  his  earnest 
request  she  and  her  children  accompanied 
him  there  on  a  visit.  After  a  short,  but 
agreeable  voyage,  the  travellers  approached 
Nahant,  and  beheld  that  bold  promontory 
rising  from  the  fair  bosom  of  the  ocean, 
with  its  picturesque  gray  rocks,  dotted  with 
beautiful  white  villas,  or  pretty  cottages, 
presenting  a  scene  to  delight  the  eyes  of  the 
painter  or  the  poet. 

Soon  after  their  arrival  the  young  Stan- 
leys seated  themselves  on  the  rocks  near 
their  uncle's  dwelling,  and  gazed  with  ex- 
treme interest  on  the  charming  prospect ; 
the  sky  was  of  a  deep  melting  blue,  and  the 
ocean  reflected  its  beautiful  coloring ;  nu- 
merous vessels  were  to  be  seen,  some  just 
spreading  their  broad  sails  to  court  the 
2* 


18  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

breeze,  which  was  to  waft  them  from  their 
native  land,  while  others  appeared  like  dark 
specks  on  the  horizon.  Multitudes  of  small 
fishing  boats  were  also  observable,  one 
moment  rising  on  the  crest  of  the  billow, 
and  then  apparently  buried  beneath  the 
waves. 

There  is  one  beautiful  peculiarity  in  the 
coast  of  New  England,  which  is  in  vain 
sought  for  along  the  sandy  beach  of  the 
middle  and  southern  states,  and  which  arises 
from  the  profusion  of  sea-weed  that  covers 
its  rock-bound  shore. .  This  feature  in  the 
landscape  of  Nahant  can  only  be  seen  in 
full  perfection  under  a  cloudless  sky,  and 
when  the  ocean  is  in  a  state  of  placidity. 
At  such  periods  the  remarkable  transpa- 
rency of  the  sea-water,  enables  the  spectator 
to  contemplate  objects  to  a  great  depth  be- 
low the  surface,  and  as  the  rays  of  the  sun 
shine  through  the  clear  expanse  of  water, 
they  strike  upon  the  rich  covering  of  sea- 
weed which  clothes  the  rocks,  and  reveal 
their  beautifully  varied  tints,  which  are  of- 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT  19 

ten  to  be  seen  vying  with  the  most  delicate 
productions  of  the  flower  garden. 

Mr.  Benson  directed  the  attention  of  his 
young  relatives  to  this  point,  and  bade  them 
mark  the  long,  pliant  branches  of  one«  spe- 
cies of  the  Fucus,  or  sea-weed,  which  were 
raised  from  their  rocky  bed  by  each  ad- 
vancing wave,  like  the  tresses  of  hair  on 
the  head  of  a  child  as  it  sports  in  the 
breeze. 

On  their  return  to  the  house  he  exhibited 
to  his  guests  a  large  collection  of  dried 
specimens  of  Fuci,  or  sea-weed.  Many  of 
them  had  been  collected  on  the  coast  of 
New  England,  while  others  had  been 
brought  by  him  from  distant  regions.  They 
were  of  various  shapes  and  hues,  some  be- 
ing of  the  most  delicate  rose  color,  others 
of  a  deep  crimson  or  purple,  while  another 
class  formed  a  beautiful  gradation,  from  a 
delicate  pea  green  to  a  dark  green,  or  olive. 
He  told  them  that  he  had  "  seen  some  spe- 
cies so  minute  as  to  require  the  aid  of  a 
microscope,  while  others  were  to  be  met 
with  in  the  Southern  Ocean  growing  to  the 


20  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

enormous  length  of  several  hundred  feet. 
Many  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  islands  in 
the  Pacific,  he  informed  them,  made  use  of 
sea-weed  as  an  article  of  nourishment, 
while  in  this  country  and  in  Europe  it  was 
employed  in  vast  quantities  as  the  article 
from  which  the  useful  soda  is  manufac- 
tured." 

Among  other  species  of  sea-weed,  Mr. 
Benson  exhibited  to  Edward  Stanley  a  spe- 
cimen of  the  Fucus  natans,  which  does  not 
attach  itself  to  the  rocks,  but  vegetates  in 
immense  floating  masses  in  the  tropical 
seas,  sometimes  in  such  quantities  as  seri- 
ously to  obstruct  the  course  of  vessels. 

"  I  wish  you,  my  dear  children,"  observed 
Mr.  Benson,  "  to  notice  the  substance  of  the 
sea-weed,  which  is  so  unlike  the  vegetable 
productions  of  the  land.  Examine  these 
plants  which  I  have  just  plucked  ;  you  ob- 
serve they  are  so  leathery  and  tough  that 
they  will  not  break,  in  spite  of  my  bending 
them."  He  then  selected  a  dried  specimen 
of  the  same  species,  which  had  lost  all  this 
leathery  character,  and  had  become   very 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  21 

brittle,  and  of  a  black  color.  "  I  informed 
you,  Edward,"  he  continued,  "  that  the 
South  Sea  islanders  make  use  of  the  sea- 
weed for  food,  and  that  we  employ  it  in  the 
manufacture  of  soda,  but  I  had  forgotten  to 
tell  you  that  it  affords  nourishment  to  in- 
numerable quantities  of  marine  worms, 
shell-fish,  and  fishes  of  various  kinds,  even 
to  the  enormous  whale,  the  monarch  of  the 
deep.  Thus  you  see,  my  dear  children, 
another  proof  that  the  Creator  of  the  uni- 
verse has  made  nothing  in  vain  ;  but  has 
with  infinite  wisdom  mutually  suited  the 
various  parts  of  creation  to  each  other, 
which  is  to  my  mind  one  of  the  most  strik- 
ing proofs  of  the  existence  of  just  such  a 
God  as  the  Bible  describes." 

In  the  course  of  the  evening,  during 
which  the  conversation  turned  on  the  va- 
rious objects  that  had  engaged  their  atten- 
tion during  the  day,  Edward  mentioned  the 
great  transparency  of  the  water^  and  asked 
his  uncle  whether  he  had  observed  it  else- 
where. 

In  reply,  Mr.  Benson  described  the  beau- 


22  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.      . 

tiful  appearances  which  are  presented  to  the 
eyes  of  the  sailor,  as  he  navigates  certain 
parts  of  the  ocean.  He  exhibited  a  fine 
coralline  specimen  which  he  had  brought 
from  the  West  Indies,  and  which  had  ar- 
rested his  attention  as  it  lay  many  feet  be- 
low the  surface  of  the  water.  "  One  of  his 
sailors,"  he  said,  "  heard  him  admire  it,  and 
diving  for  it,  severed  it  from  the  rocks  as  a 
compliment  to  him.  Talking  of  this  sub- 
ject," he  continued,  "  reminds  me  of  some 
interesting  remarks  which  I  lately  met  with 
in  Elliot's  Letters  from  the  North  of  Eu- 
rope, and  which  Edward  may  read  for  our 
mutual  gratification."  Mr.  Benson  took 
down  from  his  bookcase  the  volume  re- 
ferred to,  and  having  found  the  passage, 
placed  the  book  in  Edward's  hands,  who 
read  as  follows.  "  There  is  perhaps  no- 
thing which  strikes  a  northern  traveller 
more,  than  the  singular  transparency  of  the 
waters  :  and  the  further  he  penetrates  into 
the  arctic  regions,  the  more  forcibly  is  his 
attention  riveted  to  the  fact.  At  a  depth  of 
20  fathoms,  or  120  feet,  the  whole  surface  * 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT  23 

of  the  ground  is  exposed  to  view.  Beds 
composed  entirely  of  shells,  sand  lightly 
sprinkled  with  them,  and  submarine  for- 
ests, present  through  the  clear  medium, 
new  wonders  to  the  unaccustomed  eye.  It 
is  stated  by  Sir  Capel  de  Brooke,  and  fully 
confirmed  by  my  observations  in  Norway, 
that  sometimes  in  the  fiords  of  Norway, 
the  sea  is  transparent  to  a  depth  of  400  or 
500  feet ;  and  that  when  a  boat  passes  over 
subaqueous  mountains,  whose  summits  rise 
above  that  line,  but  whose  bases  are  fixed 
in  an  unfathomable  abyss,  the  illusion  of 
the  eye  is  so  perfect,  that  one  who  has 
gradually,  in  tranquil  progress  over  the  sur- 
face, ascended  wonderingly  the  rugged 
steep,  shrinks  back  with  horror  as  he  cross- 
es the  highest  point,  under  an  impression 
that  he  is  falling  headlong  down  the  pre- 
cipice. The  transparency  of  tropical  wa- 
ter generally,  as  far  as  my  experience  goes, 
is  not  comparable  to  that  of  the  sea  in  these 
northern  latitudes  :  though  an  exception 
may  be  made  in  favor  of  some  parts  of  the 
China  seas,  and  a  few  isolated  spots  in  the 


24  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

Atlantic.  Every  one  who  has  passed  over  the 
bank,  known  to  sailors  as  the  Say  a  de  Mai  ha, 
1 0  degrees  north  of  the  Mauritius,  must  re- 
member with  pleasure  the  world  of  shells 
and  corals  which  the  translucid  waters  ex- 
pose to  view  at  a  depth  of  30  or  40  fathoms." 

When  Edward  had  closed  the  volume, 
he  told  his  uncle  that  this  description  of  the 
beauties  of  the  ocean,  had  increased  his  de- 
sire to  traverse  its  vast  surface,  and  behold 
them  for  himself.  "How  much  that  is 
wonderful  and  admirable,  dear  uncle."  he 
continued,  "  would  be  exhibited  to  us  if  we 
could  be  permitted  to  see  the  deep  recesses 
of  the  sea  !" 

"  Yes,  my  dear  nephew,  we  should  in 
deed  see  much  to  call  forth  our  praise, 
though  man  in  his  pride  of  heart  is  prone 
to  say,  why  all  this  profusion  of  ornaments, 
created  only  to  be  buried  beneath  the 
waves  1  Many  a  mournful  tale  would  also 
be  revealed,  could  we  read  the  mysterious 
secrets  of  the  deep,  for  of  how  many  pious, 
brave,  noble,  and  beautiful  beings,  has  it 
not  been  the  grave  ! 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  W 

1  Unseen,  unsepulchred,  but  not  unwept, 

By  lover,  friend,  relation,  far  away, 

Long  waiting  their  return  to  home  and  country, 

And  going  down  into  their  fathers'  graves 

With  their  gray  hairs,  or  youthful  locks  in  sorrow, 

To  meet  no  more  till  seas  give  up  their  dead  ; 

Some  too — ay,  thousands — whom  none  living  mourn'd, 

None  missed — waifs  in  the  universe,  the  last 

Lorn  links  of  kindred  chains  forever  sundered.' 

"  Never  can  this  sad  catalogue  be  accu- 
rately made  out  to  mortal  eyes,  till  'that 
great  day  comes  for  which  all  other  days 
were  made,'  when  l  the  sea  shall  yield  up 
the  dead  that  are  in  it,  and  death  and  hell 
also  the  dead  which  are  in  them,'  and  when 
we  shall  all  i  be  judged,  every  man  accord- 
ing to  his  works.'  Many  awful  deeds  of 
wickedness  will  be  discovered  to  have  been 
perpetrated  on  the  fair  bosom  of  the  ocean, 
which  were  indeed  dexterously  shrouded 
from  the  eyes  of  man,  but  which  that  day 
will  prove  to  have  been  known  and  regis- 
tered in  heaven  by  Him  who  <  searches  us 
out,'  and  knows  us  perfectly,  even  when  on 
the  wings  of  the  morning  we  flee  to  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  sea."  Mr.  Benson 
3 


26  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

here  drew  out  his  watch,  remarking,  that 
the  hour  for  evening  prayer  had  now  ar- 
rived ;  and  when  his  household  were  col- 
lected, they  sang  at  his  request  the  follow- 
ing verses  of  a  Psalm,  taken  from  the  139th 
of  David. 

"  Thou,  Lord,  by  strictest  search  hast  known 
My  rising  up  and  lying  down ; 
My  secret  thoughts  are  known  to  thee, 
Known  long  before  conceived  by  me. 

Thine  eye  my  bed  and  path  surveys, 
My  public  haunts  and  private  ways  : 
Thou  knowest  what  'tis  my  lips  would  vent, 
My  yet  unuttered  words'  intent. 

From  thy  all-seeing  spirit,  Lord, 
What  hiding-place  does  earth  afford  1 
Oh !  where  can  I  thy  influence  shun, 
Or  whither  from  thy  presence  run  1 

If  I  the  morning's  wings  could  gain, 
And  fly  beyond  the  western  main ; 
E'en  there,  in  earth's  remotest  land, 
I  still  should  find  thy  guiding  hand  !w 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  27 

CHAPTER  III. 

"  The  insect  that  with  feeble  wing 
Just  floats  along  the  summer  ray ; 

The  flowret  that  the  breath  of  spring 
Wakes  into  life  for  half  a  day ; 

The  smallest  mote,  the  slenderest  hair, 

All  feel  our  common  Father's  care." 

On  the  following  morning  Mr.  Benson 
invited  his  guests  to  a  walk  on  the  long  and 
narrow  beach  or  ridge  of  sand  which  sepa- 
rates the  promontory  of  Nahant  from  the 
mainland;  to  which  proposal  the  party 
gladly  acceded.  When  they  reached  it,  the 
young  people  advanced  with  rapid  steps,  for 
they  were  intent  on  discovering  shells  and 
other  marine  productions.  Edward's  eager 
steps  were  soon  arrested,  apparently  by 
some  very  interesting  object,  which  he  was 
closely  examining  when  his  mother  and 
uncle  appeared.  When  he  observed  them, 
he  exclaimed,  "  Dear  uncle,  can  you  tell  me 
what  this  curious  thing  can  be,  which  I 
found  lying  on  the  beach  ?  To  me  it  ap- 
pears like  a  mass  of  jelly,  shaped  in  the 


28  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

form  of  a  fungus,  but  Emma  tells  me  that 
she  saw  something  of  the  same  kind  when 
we  were  at  the  sea-shore,  and  when  she 
showed  it  to  our  kind  friend  old  Robert, 
she  is  certain  he  called  it  a  sun-fish." 

"  Emma  is  correct  in  her  opinion,"  re- 
plied Mr.  Benson,  "  this  thing  which  to  your 
eyes,  Edward,  appears  like  a  mass  of  jelly, 
is,  or  was  once  a  living  creature,  belonging 
to  the  genus  called,  by  Linnaeus,  Medusa. 
They  have  sometimes  received  the  expres- 
sive name  of  sea-jellies,  by  others  they  are 
called  sun-fish,  or  sea-nettles.  This  last 
name,  I  presume,  is  derived  from  the  fact 
of  their  imparting  a  slight  tingling  and  ir^ 
ritation  to  the  flesh  on  handling  them.  I 
have  seen  these  animals  thrown  wantonly 
into  a  pail  of  fresh  cold  water,  which  appa- 
rently caused  them  great  suffering,  for  on 
such  occasions  the  whole  mass  contracted, 
and  expanded  again  convulsively :  instead 
of  the  transparency  exhibited  while  in 
health,  they  became  opaque  and  full  of 
white  milky  fibres." 

u  This  Medusa,  my  dear  children,"  said 


A  MEDUSA,  GELATINE,  OR  JELLY-FISH. 
(Z, 


a.  The  body  of  the  animal. 

b.  b.  b.  The  arms  or  tentacula. 

Taken  from  Kirby's  B.  T. 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  31 

Mrs.  Stanley,  "reminds  me  of  the  promise 
I  made  you  during  our  voyage  up  the 
Sound,  and  which  I  have  not  forgotten." 

"  We  did  not  think,  dear  mother,"  replied 
Anna,  "  that  you  had  forgotten  it,  because 
you  never,  I  believe,  make  us  a  promise 
without  remembering  to  keep  it ;  but  we 
were  saying  this  morning  that  we  should 
be  very  happy  to  hear  about  the  bright  lit- 
tle worms  of  the  sea,  when  you  were  at 
leisure  to  tell  us." 

"  I  have  only  waited  that  I  might  get 
time  to  clothe  the  traveller's  ideas  in  some- 
what more  simple  language  than  he  made 
use  of;  to  night,  however,  I  shall  be  ready 
to  gratify  you." 

When  evening  came  the  young  Stanleys 
seated  themselves  around  their  beloved 
mother  with  more  than  common  pleasure, 
because  their  anxiety  was  very  great  to 
hear  what  she  had  to  tell  them. 

Mr.  Benson  also  arranged  himself  in  a 
comfortable  position  in  his  large  chair,  and 
smiled  on  his  young  relatives,  as  he  told 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 


them  he  too  was  going  to  be  a  boy  again, 
and  ask  permission  to  hear  a  story. 

"You  no  doubt  recollect/'  said  Mrs. 
Stanley.  *  my  telling  you  that  the  spark- 
ling appearance  of  the  sea-water,  which 
you  admired  so  much  during  our  voyage, 
was  supposed  to  be  principally  caused  by 
the  presence  of  one  particular  family  of 
marine  animals.  These  were  called  Me- 
dusas by  Linnaeus,  and  the  name  was 
adopted  by  following  writers,  until  the  cele- 
brated Cuvier,  and  the  disciples  of  his 
school,  introduced  them  under  other  names, 
in  their  different  classifications  of  the  ani- 
mal kingdom.  Baron  Cuvier  ranged  them 
as  a  group  with  some  other  genera,  under 
his  class  of  Zoophyte.  Lamarch  separates 
them  from  many  of  these,  and  enumerates 
them  among  his  Radiaries,  as  forming  a 
household  by  themselves,  to  which  he  gives 
the  expressive  name  of  Gelatines,  or  Sea- 
jellies.  I  will  not  perplex  your  minds,  or 
burden  your  memories  at  present  with  these 
different  systems,  and  will  speak  of  them  to 
you   by  their  old-fashioned  name  of  Me- 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT 


dusse,  since  it  is  by  this  term  you  will  find 
them  recognized  by  Spall  anzini,  on  whose 
account  I  shall  depend  in  giving  their  his- 
tory. As  the  Medusae  are  in  many  re- 
spects such  singular  creatures.  I  shall  de- 
scribe one  of  them  to  you  more  particularly. 
I  have  not  been  able  to  find  in  any  work 
that  I  have  been  able  to  consult,  so  clear  a 
description  of  them  as  that  furnished  by 
Spallanzini  of  the  species  in  which  he  was 
peculiarly  interested.  He  says  himself  that 
he  had  never  been  able  to  meet  with  any 
'but  imperfect  accounts  of  the  life  ana 
habits  of  these  curious  animals.'  No  au- 
thor that  he  had  consulted  ever  mentioned 
their  luminous  appearance,  excepting  Lin- 
naeus, and  he -only  in  one  passage,  in  which 
he  asserts  that  some  learned  man  had  seen 
'  in  the  sea  between  Spain  and  America. 
Medusae  dispersed  over  the  water  when 
calm,  and  shining  in  the  night  like  so  many 
candles.'  Our  traveller  had  found  differ- 
ent species  of  them  in  the  sea  of  Genoa  and 
in  other  places,  which  showed  no  brilliancy 
at  night,  but  he  was  fully  gratified  when 


34  A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT. 

he  beheld  those  of  Messina.  The  body  of 
this  species  was  shaped  like  the  head  of  a 
fungus  or  mushroom,  being  convex  or 
round  above,  and  concave  or  hollow  be- 
neath ;  they  vary  in  size  from  two  to  four 
inches  across  ;  round  the  edges  they  be- 
come thinner  like  the  fungus,  and  have  the 
appearance  of  being  cut  into  a  fine  fringe  ; 
and  where  that  is  joined  to  the  stalk,  the 
Medusa  had  four  long,  round,  hollow  bo- 
dies, called  Tentacula,  or  feelers,*  of  a  large 
size,  and  eight  smaller  ones  :  these  feelers 
all  ran  lengthwise,  and  adhered  to  the  low- 
er part  of  the  animal,  which  answered  to 
the  under  and  hollow  side  of  a  fungus  ;  the 
surface  of  the  body  was  very  smooth,  and 
was  covered  with  a  slimy  matter ;  at  the 
highest  point  of  the  upper  side  was  a  large 
opening  leading  into  a  cavity,  which  look- 
ed like  a  jelly-like  purse  ;  at  the  bottom  of 

*  "  Tentacula,  or  feelers  :  organs  supplying  the  place  ot 
hands  and  arms  to  the  animal,  intended  both  for  feeling, 
and  for  seizing  and  holding  food  and  other  substances, 
and  for  conveying  it  to  the  mouth."  See  index  to  Ware's 
edition  of  Smellie's  Philosophy  of  Natural  History. 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  35 

this  were  four  small  holes,  by  which  the 
water  passed  out  that  entered  in  at  the  large 
opening,  which  Spallanzini  supposed  was 
the  mouth  of  the  animal.  Tell  me  whe- 
ther either  of  you  can  form  a  conjecture  as 
to  the  use  of  the  purse  f3 

Emma  and  Anna  were  silent,  and  looked 
to  Edward  as  if  they  expected  him  to  speak. 
After  a  few  moments  of  thought,  he  an- 
swered, "  This  Medusa  was  so  unlike  com- 
mon animals,  dear  mother,  that  I  hardly 
know  what  to  say.  If  it  was  a  living  crea- 
ture, however,  it  must  have  found  nourish- 
ment of  some  kind,  though  I  am  sure  I  can- 
not imagine  what  sort  of  food  would  have 
been  suitable,  or  delicate  enough  for  such  a 
jelly-like  gentleman.  If  he  ate,  he  must,  I 
suppose,  have  had  a  stomach,  and  I  cannot 
think  where  that  could  have  been  unless 
this  purse  was  it." 

"  You  are  right  in  your  conjecture,  Ed- 
ward," replied  his  mother,  "  this  cavity  or 
purse  was  in  reality  the  stomach  of  the  Me- 
dusa. With  respect  to  the  kind  of  food  on 
which  it  depended  for  sustenance,  Spallan- 


36  A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT 

zini  was  inclined  to  think  that  it.  lived  on 
mall  fish  and  marine  worms,  as  he  once 
found  a  Medusa  with  a  little  fish  tightly 
grasped  in  its  feelers,  and  the  seamen  ol 
Messina  informed  him  that  such  a  sight 
was  by  no  means  uncommon.  He  farther 
informs  us  that  the  substance  of  these  ani- 
mals was  so  tender  that  it  could  be  cut 
with  a  thread,  and  was  at  the  same  time  as 
transparent  as  glass.  Throughput  the 
greatest  part  of  it,  even  when  examined 
with  a  microscope,  no  vessels  or  fibres 
could  be  perceived  like  those  of  other  crea- 
tures, except  at  the  top  of  the  purse,  or  sto- 
mach, where  he  found  four  small  bunches 
of  long,  thin  bodies  twisted  together,  re- 
sembling in  some  respects  the  intestines  of 
other  animals." 

At  this  part  of  the  narrative  Mrs.  Stanley 
paused  for  a  few  moments,  and  Emma  took 
advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  inquire 
eagerly,  how  the  Medusa  moved  through 
the  sea. 

Her  mother  answered,  "  They  have  nei- 
ther hands  nor  feet,  Emma,  and  yet  they 


A.  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  37 

contrive  to  travel  from  place  to  place.  They 
are  proved  to  be  animals  principally  by 
their  possessing  powers  of  motion,  and 
these  depend  almost  entirely  on  their  ability 
to  enlarge  and  contract  the  outer  part  of  the 
body.  The  traveller  tells  us  that  from  a 
boat  he  watched  the  motions  of  a  swim- 
ming Medusa  :  he  perceived  that  it  turned 
the  round  part  of  its  body  towards  the  sur- 
face of  the  water  in  a  slanting  direction,  and 
that  the  fringed  edges  occupied  the  space 
behind.  Every  few  minutes  it  drew  in  the 
latter,  and  then  swelled  them  out  again. 
As  the  animal  is  always  below  the  surface 
of  the  water,  it  will  of  course  have  its  open 
mouth  and  stomach  full  of  it.  As  it  draws 
in  its  body  the  water  is  pressed  out  of  the 
four  holes  that  I  have  mentioned,  and  thus 
forced  against  the  edges :  this  gives  it  an 
impulse,  which  is  sufficient  to  make  it  pro- 
ceed onward,  while  at  the  same  time  all  its 
twelve  feelers  are  stretched  beyond  the 
edges  of  the  body  like  feet.-' 

Mrs.  Stanley  here  closed  her  papers,  say- 
ing at  the  same  time,  "  I  have  taken  so  long, 


38  A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT. 

brother,  to  describe  the  appearance  of  the 
Medusa,  that  I  think  I  had  better  defer  the 
account  of  the  light  it  exhibits  until  another 
time."  Mr.  Benson  assented,  telling  her 
as  he  did  so,  that  it  was  not  because  he  felt 
no  inclination  to  hear  what  she  had  to  say, 
Dut  because  he  was  afraid  they  might  be 
detained  until  too  late  an  hour. 

"  I  have  been  more  particular,  brother," 
she  said,  "  in  this  part  of  rny  narrative,  be- 
cause I  wish  my  children  to  mark  the  skill 
which  has  been  shown  in  the  formation  of 
this  curious  creature,  which  is  ranked 
among  the  lowest  orders  of  animals.  From 
what  you  told  them  of  the  sufferings  in- 
flicted on  the  Medusae  by  throwing  them  in 
cold  fresh  water,  they  will  see  that  they 
were  created  expressly  to  inhabit  salt  wa- 
ter. When  we  think  of  all  these  things, 
can  we  hesitate,  my  dear  children,  to  say 
that  the  Being  who  formed  them  was  full 
of  mercy  and  consideration  for  the  comfort 
of  his  creatures,  even  the  most  feeble?  And 
when  we  see  Him  exercising  so  much 
thought,  in  always  remembering  to  place 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  39' 

the  poor  little  Medusae  exactly  in  the  ele- 
ment suited  to  them,  let  us  be  comforted 
and  strengthened  in  our  belief,  that  if  we 
are  among  his  people  he  will  be  sure  to  cast 
our  lot  exactly  in  the  circumstances  which 
are  best  suited  for  us.  Our  blessed  Re- 
deemer bids  us  look  at  the  little  sparrow, 
and  observe  how  well  they  are  taken  care 
of,  in  order  that  we  may  learn  to  trust  our 
heavenly  Father  entirely.  We  'are  of  more 
value,'  He  assures,  'than  many  sparrows,' 
and  yet  not  even  '  one  of  them  fails  to  the 
ground'  without  God's  notice." 


CHAPTER  IY. 


"  With  scarce  inferior  lustre  gleamed  the  sea, 
Whose  waves  were  spangled  with  phosphoric  fire, 
As  though  the  lightnings  there  had  spent  their  shafts, 
And  left  the  fragments  glittering  on  the  field. " 

"  How  very  glad  I  am  the  sun  has  set, 
mother,"  said  Emma  Stanley,  as  she  watch- 
ed it  anxiously  from  her  uncle's  piazza  on 
the  following  evening. 

"  Why  are  you   so  much   pleased,  my 


40  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

dear  1  have  you  spent  the  day  in  such  a 
manner,  that  you  have  no  stings  of  con- 
science in  looking  back  upon  it  V 

Emma  blushed,  for  she  remembered  that 
her  mother  had  been  obliged  during  that 
day  to  reprove  her  seriously  several  times. 
"  I  did  uot  indeed  think  so,  dear  mother,  for 
no  day  passes  that  I  don't  do  something 
naughty.  It  seems  to  me  that  if  I  try  with 
all  my  might,  I  am  sure  to  do  wrong  a 
great  deal  oftener  than  Anna  or  brother  f 
and  while  she  spoke  the  tears  of  contrition 
stood  in  her  eyes. 

Her  mother  stroked  her  forehead  tender- 
ly, and  replied,  "  You  know,  my  daughter, 
I  often  tell  you  that  if  you  only  strive  in 
your  own  might  you  will  be  sure  to  fail. 
You  know  well  where  you  must  go  for 
strength.  I  suppose  your  pleasure  at  the 
sight  of  the  setting  sun,  arose  from  the 
thought  that  you  would  soon  be  gratified 
by  hearing  more  of  the  Medusae  of  Messina. 
But  in  your  desire  after  promised  enjoy- 
ments, you  should  not  forget  that  we  shall 
have  to  give  an  account  on  the  great  day, 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  41  , 

of  each  waking  hour  as  it  passes  along,  and 
therefore  it  is  wrong  to  wish  to  hurry  over 
any  of  them." 

While  Mrs.  Stanley  and  her  daughter 
were  thus  engaged  in  conversation  of  a  re- 
ligious kind.  Mr.  Benson  tapped  at  the  par- 
lor window  to  summon  them  in.  They 
immediately  rose  and  walked  into  the 
house,  where  they  found  the  table  arranged 
with  lights  for  them. 

"  You  see,  sister,"  said  Mr.  Benson,  "  I 
am  almost  as  impatient  as  your  children, 
to  hear  the  sequel  of  the  history  of  the  Me- 
dusae." 

"  And  I  am  quite  ready  to  gratify  your 
wishes,"  she  replied,  and  producing  her 
notes,  she  continued  as  follows.  "  I  think 
I  cannot  better  introduce  this  part  of  my 
subject  than  in  the  following  words  of  the 
traveller.  '  If  in  the  beginning  of  the  even- 
ing we  enter  the  strait  of  Messina  in  a  low 
boat  or  bark,  coasting  near  the  land  where 
the  water  is  perfectly  calm,  the  Medusae,, 
which  are  usually  very  numerous  there, 
begin  to  shine  with  a  light,  which  acquires, 
4* 


42  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

intensity  and  extent  as  the  darkness  in- 
creases ;  every  Medusa  resembling  a  bright 
torch,  that  may  be  seen  for  some  paces 
round  ;  on  approaching,  the  brilliant  phos- 
phorus shows  the  form  of  the  body.  This 
light,  when  the  evening  twilight  is  distinct, 
is  of  a  lively  white,  which  strikes  the  eye 
when  the  animal  is  35  feet  below  the  sur- 
face.' " 

Mrs.  Stanley  stopped  for  a  few  moments 
and  looked  at  Emma,  as  if  she  expected  her 
to  speak ;  at  last  she  said,  "  If  any  thing 
that  I  have  said  puzzles  you,  my  dear,  do 
not  be  afraid  to  speak." 

"  I  would  like,  dear  mother."  she  replied, 
i£  to  know  what  you  mean  by  the  phospho- 
rus of  the  Medusae  ;  last  evening  I  heard 
,one  of  the  gentlemen  who  were  here  speak 
of  the  phosphorus  of  the  fire-fly." 

"  1  expected  an  inquiry  on  this  point,  and 
you  know  I  am  always  ready  to  gratify 
you  when  you  ask  me  at  proper  times.  1 
am  pleased  that  you  did  not  do  so  last  even- 
ing when  strangers  were  present,  because 
on  such   occasions  I  always  wish  young 


A  VISIT  TO  N  AH  ANT.  43 

persons  to  keep  in  the  background,  and  not 
trespass  upon  the  patience  of  others.  When 
we  speak  of  the  phosphorescence  of  ani- 
mals, we  mean  the  property  which  those 
bodies  possess  of  giving  light  without  burn- 
ing. A  great  many  minerals  have  this 
power,  some  in  an  astonishing  degree  :  thus 
if  a  piece  of  lime  is  placed  on  charcoal  be- 
fore the  compound  blow-pipe  of  a  chemist, 
it  will  emit  a  light  of  so  brilliant  a  kind  that 
it  can  scarcely  be  looked  at.  Putrid  fishv 
often  exhibit  a  great  degree  of  phosphores- 
cence, and  so  does  a  certain  kind  of  light 
decayed  wood,  which  you  have  often 
amused  yourselves  in  playing  with,  and 
called  lightning-wood.  <  Phosphorus  is  a 
simple  substance,'  to  use  the  words  of  a 
popular  writer,*  £  that  was  formerly  un- 
known. It  is  found  in  all  animal  substan- 
ces, and  is  now  chiefly  obtained  from  the 
powder  of  burnt  bones  by  chemists.'  It  is 
so  combustible  that  it  will  take  fire  from 
the  heat  of  the  fingers,  and  if  a  small  piece 

*  "  Conversations  on  Chemistry.5' 


44  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

of  phosphorus  is  cut  off  and  put  in  a  glass 
receiver  of  a  chemist,  it  may  be  set  on  fire 
by  merely  touching  it  with  a  piece  of  red 
hot  iron  wire,  when  the  most  brilliant  blaze 
will  be  produced.  We  will  now  return  to 
Spallanzini  and  his  observations  on  the 
Medusas  of  Messina.  He  observed,  there 
would  be  in  them  sometimes  a  display  of 
light  for  half  an  hour  or  more,  and  then 
again  it  would  disappear,  and  not  be  visi- 
ble until  after  a  long  interval.  These  in- 
terruptions led  him  to  think  whether  the 
brilliancy  might  not  depend  in  a  consider- 
able degree  on  their  being  kept  in  motion. 
And  he  was  strengthened  in  this  belief,  by 
his  recollection  of  the  fire-fly,  which  never, 
you  know,  shows  any  light  when  in  a  state 
of  perfect  rest." 

When  Mrs.  Stanley  ceased  speaking, 
Anna  remarked,  "  I  have  been  trying,  mam- 
ma, to  think  how  this  gentleman  was  able 
to  examine  the  Medusae  so  well,  since  you 
told  us  they  would  not  live  in  fresh  water, 
and  also,  that  the  phosphorus  could  only 
be  seen  in  a  dark  place." 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  45 

"  Do  you  not  remember,  Anna,"  said  her 
brother,  "  how  nicely  Spallanzini  managed 
to  watch  the  coral  worms  when  at  work. 
I  dare  say  he  found  out  some  way  quite  as 
clever  to  examine  these  animals." 

"  He  acknowledges,"  said  Mrs.  Stanley, 
"that  he  found  great  difficulty  in  ascer- 
taining the  true  history  of  the  Medusae. 
But  he  finally  succeeded,  and  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner :  '  he  applied  himself/  he 
says,  '  to  examine  these  animals,  by  placing 
a  number  of  them  in  vessels  filled  with  sea- 
water,  in  which  situation  they  would  re- 
main alive  for  several  days,  provided  the 
water  was  changed  frequently,  and  care 
was  taken  at  the  same  time  to  have  the  ves- 
sels large.'  Under  such  circumstances  he 
found  that  the  light  was  very  little  inferior 
to  that  which  the  animals  possessed  at  sea : 
so  long  as  their  tremulous  motion  con- 
tinued the  light  appeared,  though  he  uni- 
formly found  it  more  striking  when  they 
were  contracting,  than  when  they  were  ex- 
panding." 

"  That  accounts,  mamma,"  said  Edward, 


46  A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT. 

"for  the  light  changing  so  much  in  the 
sea :  you  told  us  that  it  was  by  swelling 
themselves  out,  and  then  drawing  in  a^ain, 
that  they  were  able  to  move  through  the 
water,  and  if  the  light  was  always  greater 
when  they  were  enlarging  themselves,  of 
course,  it  would  be  altering  constantly.  1 
suppose,  of  course,  the  Medusae  which  were 
so  bright  in  the  Sound  moved  very  much 
like  those  of  Messina,  though  they  were  not 
near  as  large." 

"  I  suppose  there  was  a  good  deal  of  simi- 
larity in  their  movements,  Edward,  for  we 
generally  find  that  animals  which  belong  to 
the  same  genus  or  family,  are  formed  with 
like  habits  of  almost  every  kind." 

"How  very  much,  mamma,  I  should 
love  to  have  a  few  of  the  Messina  Medusae 
to  watch,"  said  Anna,  "now  that  you  have 
told  us  about  them." 

"  As  that  is  a  pleasure  which  is  out  of 
your  power  to  enjoy,  my  dear,"  replied  her 
mother,  "  you  must  not  covet  it  too  anxious- 
ly. The  Bible  rule  is  the  best  rule  for 
duty  and  happiness  on  all  occasions,  and 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  47 

its  words  are  very  positive  upon  the  point 
of  covetousness.  l  Be  content  with  such 
things  as  ye  have.'  You  cannot  indeed 
examine  these  animals  for  yourself,  but  you 
can  listen  to  the  account  of  one  who  was 
far  better  able  to  do  so." 

"  I  want  to  ask  one  question,"  observed 
Edward,  "and  this  is,  whether  there  was 
any  brilliancy  about  the  Medusae  when 
they  were  quite  at  rest?" 

"  The  traveller  tells  us,"  said  his  mother, 
"  that  at  such  times  the  light  was  so  faint, 
that  a  careless  observer  would  have  sup- 
posed that  it  had  ceased.  I  will  here  give 
you  in  his  own  language,  some  interesting 
facts  with  regard  to  his  ni^ht  vigils  in  the 
cause  of  science.  l  In  the  chamber  in  which 
I  slept  at  Messina,  I  had  kept  for  several 
days  a  number  of  Medusas  in  buckets  filled 
with  sea-water.  The  water  in  one  of  these 
was  through  neglect  unchanged,  and  con- 
sequently the  animals  it  contained  suffered 
greatly,  and  no  longer  exhibited  any  tremu- 
lous motion  when  I  returned  to  them  soon 
after  sun-set.     The  light  too  no  longer  ap- 


48  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

peared,  except  when  by  handling  them  they 
were  made  to  move  for  a  short  time.  Du- 
ring the  successive  hours  of  that  night  I  re- 
mained in  the  same  chamber,  sitting  at  a 
table  to  note  down  the  observations  I  had 
made  in  the  course  of  the  day,  and  during 
that  time  having  twice  cast  my  eyes  at  the 
bucket,  I  found  it  entirely  dark,  though  the 
candle  had  been  removed  into  another 
room.  But  rising  before  day,  I  approached 
the  bucket,  which  stood  in  one  corner  of 
the  room,  and  perceived  that  the  dying  Me- 
dusae still  emitted  a  pale,  but  decided  light. 
It  was  easy  to  repeat  the  experiment  on 
others,  and  such  repetitions  were  of  im- 
portance, for  the  results  were  uniformly  the 
same.  I  found  likewise  that  these  crea- 
tures do  not  entirely  cease  to  shine  until 
they  are  dead,  and  have  begun  to  putrefy. 
I  therefore  concluded  that  the  phosphores- 
cence of  these  animals  cannot  properly  be 
said  to  be  interrupted ;  but  that  while  in 
motion  it  is  stronger  and  more  lively, 
though  a  feeble  light  still  continues  in  the 
intervals  of  rest,  but  at  times  so  weak  that 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  49 

it  cannot  be  discerned,  unless  the  eye  be 
cleared  of  the  impressions  of  light  from 
surrounding  objects,  as  was  mine,  when 
after  having  slept  in  a  dark  room,  I  pro- 
ceeded to  make  observations  of  this  kind.' " 

At  this  point  Mrs.  Stanley  remained  si- 
lent, to  give  her  children  an  opportunity 
for  making  inquiries  with  regard  to  any 
thing  which  might  have  perplexed  their 
minds. 

After  a  pause  of  a  few  moments  Edward 
inquired  whether  the  traveller  described 
the  appearance  which  the  animals  present- 
ed when  out  of  water,  remarking,  that  his 
curiosity  was  excited  to  know  whether  in 
such  a  situation  they  would  show  any 
light. 

"  I  am  happy,"  said  his  mother,  "  in  be- 
ing able  to  state  some  singular  facts  ob- 
served by  Spallanzini,  with  regard  to  the 
very  point  to  which  you  allude.  A  Medu- 
sa having  been  left  by  him  for  twenty-two 
hours  on  a  sheet  of  white  paper,  had  ceased 
to  live  ;  the  greater  part  of  it  was  dissolved 
into  a  liquor,  and  every  luminous  trace  had 
5 


50  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

vanished.  A  large  glass  of  well-water  was 
standing  on  the  table,  and  he,  without  hav- 
ing any  particular  object  in  view,  chanced 
to  throw  the  remnants  of  the  Medusa  from 
the  paper  into  the  jar  ;  it  immediately  sank 
to  the  bottom,  and  there  remained  motion- 
less ;  but  to  his  astonishment  instantly 
shone  with  so  bright  a  light  that  he  was 
able  to  read  by  it  print  of  tolerably  large 
size.  The  water  at  the  same  time  became 
luminous,  and  when  he  placed  his  finger 
in  the  glass  it  became  plainly  discernible. 
Supposing  that  the  light  would  be  increased 
if  sea-water  was  used,  he  threw  out  the 
well-water,  and  filled  the  jar  with  sea-wa- 
ter ;  but  the  result  disappointed  him,  as 
darkness  followed.  Subsequently  he  pour- 
ed off  the  water  from  the  ocean,  and  sub- 
stituted that  from  the  well,  when  a  beauti- 
ful light  again  appeared." 

"  This  was  very  extraordinary,  mamma," 
said  Emma,  "but,  of  course,  Spallanzini 
could  explain  it." 

"  With  all  his  genius  and  ingenuity  he 
was    baffled,   and    acknowledges    himself 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  51 

wholly  unable  to  assign  a  reason  for  this 
extraordinary  fact,  as  well  as  another  of  the 
same  kind,  which  occurred  during  his  visit. 
When  we  behold  a  man  of  his  talents  and 
attainments,  thus  obliged  to  confess  his  in- 
ability to  solve  a  simple  phenomenon  of 
nature,  it  should  teach  us  all  humility.  It 
should  make  us  feel  the  infinite  distance 
which  subsists  between  men  of  the  strong- 
est minds,  and  who  have  made  the  greatest 
acquisitions  in  human  science,  and  the 
great  God  of  the  universe.  The  word  of 
God  assures  us  that  our  Lord  <  knew  what 
was  in  man  ;  and  needeth  not  that  any 
should  testify  of  him.'  He  knows  too  all 
the  secrets  of  nature  ;  He  constructed  the 
whole  universe,  and  is  perfectly  acquainted 
with  the  vast  system  of  machinery  which 
He  has  put  in  operation.  Ever  since  the 
creation  men  have  been  puzzling  them- 
selves to  try  and  ascertain  what  the  princi- 
ple of  life  is,  but  in  vain.  Man  finds  it 
every  where,  and  often  wantonly  destroys 
it,  but  when  once  extinguished,  where  is 
the  human  being  so  mighty,  so  highly  gift- 


62  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

ed,  as  to  be  able  to  restore  it  even  to  the 
most  diminutive  insect." 

"Will  you  be  so  kind,  dear  mother/' 
asked  Anna,  "  as  to  tell  us  what  other  won- 
derful things  those  were  which  the  traveller 
observed  at  Messina,  besides  those  you 
have  already  related  to  us." 

"Certainly,  my  dear,"  said  her  mother, 
"  if  you  wish  to  hear  the  narration ;  I 
thought  you  might  possibly  be  a  little  weary 
of  the  subject." 

When  Mrs.  Stanley  received  the  assu- 
rances of  her  brother  and  children,  that 
they  felt  no  decrease  of  interest,  she  again 
opened  her  manuscript,  and  read  as  fol- 
lows. "  Another  Medusa  which  was  dead, 
and  had  not  been  luminous  for  some  time, 
was  lying  out  of  the  water  in  the  window 
of  my  chamber.  During  the  night  a  slight 
rain  fell,  and  every  drop  which  touched 
the  Medusa  was  changed  into  a  brilliant 
spangle,  till  in  a  short  time  it  was  studded 
all  over  with  such  shining  points.  I  could 
produce  no  such  effect  by  sprinkling  with 
sea-water  in  imitation  of  rain." 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  S3 

Mrs.  Stanley  here  remarked,  "  In  Spal- 
lanzini's  eager  desire  to  ascertain  facts 
which  advance  the  cause  of  science,  he 
tried  experiments  on  these  poor  Medusae, 
which  I  certainly  would  not  wish  you  to 
suppose  that  I  approve  of,  or  would  imitate. 
So  far  as  we  can  .gather  information  with 
respect  to  God's  creatures,  by  observing 
them  as  closely  as  we  can  without  inflict- 
ing pain,  I  consider  it  not  only  innocent  and 
interesting,  but  profitable  to  us,  as  intelli- 
gent beings,  and  as  Christians  to  do  so,  since 
it  leads  us  to  more  adoring  views  of  Him 
1  who  lives,  and  moves,  and  breathes  in  all.' 
But  I  cannot  reconcile  it  to  my  conscience 
wantonly  to  deprive  the  unoffending  crea- 
tures whom  God  has  made,  of  life,  for  my 
own  gratification,  or  unnecessarily  to  dis- 
tress them.  On  this  account,  therefore,  I 
shall  pass  over  the  account  of  such  experi- 
ments made  on  the  innocent  Medusae." 

"  I  do  not  wonder,  mamma,"  said  Emma, 
"  that  the  seamen  of  Messina  should  call 
these  bright  little  creatures  l  the  Candles  of 
the  Sea,'  for  they  seem  to  deserve  the  name 

5* 


54  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

very  well,  since  their  light  enabled   the 
traveller  to  read  in  a  dark  room." 

"  I  was  reading  an  account,  sister,"  ob- 
served Mr.  Benson,  "  not  long  since  of  the 
beautiful  appearance  which  the  waters  of 
"Venice  present  at  night,  arising,  the  writer 
said,  from  the  presence  of  the  marine  glow- 
worm in  great  quantities.  Does  your  tra- 
veller make  any  allusion  to  this  locality,  for 
I  am  inclined  to  think  the  marine  glow- 
worm of  my  author  is  the  same  with  the 
Candellieri  di  Mari  of  yours  ?" 

"  Spallanzini  mentions  these  '  glow 
worms  of  the  sea,'  brother,"  replied  Mrs. 
Stanley.  "  but  considers  them  as  a  different 
animal  from  the  l  Candles  of  the  Sea,'  and 
I  will  read  you  a  few  lines  of  his  on  the 
subject,  to  convince  you  of  the  distinction 
between  them.  He  says,  'in  my  voyage 
from  Lipari  to  Messina  I  was  three  times 
obliged  to  pass  the  night  on  the  water.  The 
sea  was  shallow,  and  the  bottom  abounded 
with  sea-weed.  In  the  darkness  of  the 
night  these  plants  shone  with  sudden  bright 
flashes,   which    became    more    numerous 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  55 

when  I  moved  them  with  the  end  of  the 
oar,  and  induced  me  to  suppose  they  con- 
tained marine  glow-worms.  Having  drawn 
up  some  tufts  of  them  from  the  bottom,  I 
found  these  animals  attached  to  them :  and 
this  convinced  me  that  they  were  the  cause 
of  the  luminous  appearance  there,  as  well 
as  in  the  Yenetian  Lagune.  That  I  might 
examine  them  more  accurately,  I  carried 
them  with  me  to  Messina  and  Lipari  in 
vessels  of  sea-water.  When  I  arrived  there, 
and  was  in  a  dark  room,  I  detached  the 
glow-worms  from  the  sea-weed,  either  by 
taking  them  off  gently  with  my  fingers,  as 
their  light  showed  me  the  precise  spot 
where  they  were,  or  by  shaking  the  leaves 
of  the  plant  in  the  water,  first  placing  a 
cloth  at  the  bottom  of  the  vessel.  They 
were  heavier  than  the  sea-water,  and  fell  to 
the  bottom,  and  the  cloth  then  appeared 
studded  with  brilliant  points,  which  were 
the  animals  I  wished  to  detach,  and  which 
I  ascertained  to  be  the  shining  Nereis.' " 

Mrs.  Stanley  received  the  thanks  of  the 
whole  party  for  her  narrative  ;    for  her 


56  A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT. 

brother  declared  he  had  been  equally  in- 
terested with  the  young  Stanleys. 

"I  must  make  a  request  in  my  turn," 
said  the  lady,  "  which  is,  that  Edward  or 
his  sisters  will  endeavor  to  draw  a  moral 
lesson  from  the  subject  of  our  conversation 
this  evening." 

A  long  silence  ensued,  which  Anna  was 
the  first  to  break,  by  saying  timidly,  "  Dear 
mother,  I  cannot  think  so  well  as  brother, 
but  may  I  tell  you  some  lines  that  have 
been  in  my  mind  all  the  while  you  have 
been  talking  of  these  beautiful  Medusae. 
You  will  not  think  a  child  presumptuous, 
mamma,  in  just  altering  a  little,  part  of  one 
of  your  favorite  hymns. 

'  The  spacious  firmament  on  high, 
With  all  the  blue  ethereal  sky, 
And  spangled  sea,  a  shining  frame, 
Their  great  Original  proclaim. 
In  reason's  ear  they  all  rejoice, 
And  utter  forth  a  glorious  voice, 
Forever  singing  as  they  shine, 
The  hand  that  made  us  is  divine.'  " 

As  Mr.  Benson  and  his  sister  watched  the 
glowing  cheek  of  Anna,  and  listened  to  the 


A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT.  57 

tremulous  tones  in  which  she  gave  utter- 
ance to  her  feelings  in  the  language  of  the 
hymn,  they  were  assured  there  was  no  in- 
tention on  her  part  to  make  any  exhibition 
of  sentiment,  and  therefore  they  rewarded 
the  little  girl  by  an  approving  smile,  which 
effectually  dispelled  her  agitation. 

u  I  am  waiting,  Edward,  very  patiently 
for  your  commentary,"  said  Mr.  Benson. 

"I  was  thinking,  uncle,  that  real  Chris- 
tians were  like  the  Medusas,  shedding  bright 
light  around  them  wherever  they  moved, 
and  that  sometimes  their  example  was 
brighter,  and  more  useful  to  others  after 
death,  than  when  alive  and  full  of  strength." 

"  Yes,  my  son,"  said  Mrs.  Stanley,  "  that 
is  indeed  often  the  case  ;  and  by  the  bless- 
ing of  God,  (without  which  no  human 
efforts  can  be  of  any  avail  in  the  work  ot 
salvation,)  the  beautiful  light  of  a  holy  ex- 
ample made  known  to  others  after  the 
death  of  the  individual,  may  be  the  means 
of  leading  them  to  the  reading  of  God's 
word,  by  which  the  darkness  of  unbelief  is 
dispelled,  and  souls  once  dead  in  sin,  are 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 


enlightened  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
1  through  the  grave  and  gate  of  death,  are 
made  to  pass  to  a  joyful  resurrection,  for 
his  merits  who  died,  and  was  buried,  and 
rose  again  for  us.'  ° 


CHAPTER  V. 

"  They  that  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships,  that  do  busi- 
ness in  great  waters ;  these  see  the  works  of  the  Lord, 
and  his  wonders  in  the  deep.  For  He  commandeth,  and 
raiseth  the  stormy  wind,  which  lifteth  up  the  waves  there- 
of."    Psalm  107. 

In  the  early  part  of  his  life,  Mr.  Benson 
had  made  many  sea  voyages,  and  having 
an  observing  mind,  his  memory  was  stored 
with  incidents  connected  with  such  scenes, 
and  while  he  was  relating  them  for  the 
amusement  or  instruction  of  his  nephew 
and  nieces,  the  time  appeared  to  them  to 
pass  by  most  swiftly.  One  afternoon  they 
were  seated  together  in  their  uncle's  par- 
lor, the  windows  of  which  commanded  a 
fine  view  of  the  ocean  :  the  sky  had  been 
dark  and  lowering  all  day,  and  the  dense 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  59 

masses  of  black  clouds,  which  seemed  piled 
one  over  the  other,  portended  a  terrible 
storm.  Numerous  fishing  boats  were  to 
be  seen  with  their  sails  spread,  hurrying 
towards  land  as  if  the  occupants  dreaded 
to  remain  on  the  ocean,  during  the  strife  of 
the  elements  that  was  approaching  :  the 
sea  fowl,  apprized  of  the  impending  danger, 
by  the  instinct  which  their  kind  Creator 
has  imparted  to  them,  were  scudding  quick- 
ly along  the  brink  of  the  waves  to  seek 
shelter  in  some  retired  cove  ;  while  the 
wind  moaned  in  long  and  melancholy  notes, 
and  seemed  to  say  it  mourned  at  the  de- 
vastation it  was  bringing  over  nature,  at 
the  commands  of  Him  who  bringeth  "  the 
winds  out  of  His  treasures,"  and  who  mer- 
cifully overrules  all  such  events  for  the 
final  good  of  his  creatures. 

Mr.  Benson  for  some  time  observed  the 
heavens  with  a  most  watchful  eye,  when, 
at  length,  starting  up,  he  exclaimed  quick- 
ly, at  the  same  time  pointing  with  his  hand 
towards  a  certain  part  of  the  horizon, 
11  Look  yonder,  Edward !  were  I  at  sea,  I 


60  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

should  say  that  appearance  was  indicative 
of  a  water-spout." 

u  A  water-spout,  dear  uncle  !"  exclaimed 
the  young  people  all  at  once,  "  and  have 
you  ever  seen  a  water-spout  ?  Please  to  tell 
us  something  about  it." 

"  I  have  seen  them  more  than  once,  and 
shall  not  readily  forget  my  feelings  of  awe 
at  such  times,  and  the  breathless  suspense 
with  which  I  watched  their  progress.  I 
have  been  in  many  situations  of  peril  both 
at  land  and  sea,  but  I  can  assure  you,  Ed- 
ward, I  never  felt  such  sensations  as  when 
1  have  seen  a  water-spout  approaching. 
This  is  not  a  time  for  me  to  give  you  an  ac- 
count of  this  phenomenon,  for  the  tempest 
which  is  approaching  would  drown  my 
feeble  voice,  but  when  it  abates  I  will  try 
to  gratify  you." 

The  young  Stanleys  had  been  early  ac 
customed  by  their  excellent  mother  to  ac- 
commodate their  wishes  to  those  of  others, 
and  when  they  found  their  uncle  preferred 
deferring  to  another  time  the  relation  of  the 
narrative  which  they  were  anxious  to  hear, 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  61 

they  did  not  look  sullen  or  displeased,  but 
cheerfully  acquiesced.  Soon  the  storm 
burst  with  violence  upon  them ;  the  thun- 
der roared  with  deep  and  solemn  sound, 
and  the  forked  lightning  played  up  and 
down  the  heavens  with  fearful  brilliancy, 
but  the  party  at  the  cottage  exhibited  no 
weak  or  childish  fears.  Their  mother  had 
endeavored  from  their  earliest  years,"  to  im- 
press upon  their  hearts  a  lively  faith  in  the 
watchful  care  of  God  extended  over  them 
at  all  times.  In  their  morning  devotions 
they  were  accustomed  to  pray  for  God's 
protection  through  the  day,  and  to  praise 
Him  for  having  kept  them  safely  through 
the  defenceless  hours  of  the  night ;  and  be- 
fore they  retired  to  rest  in  the  evening  simi- 
lar devotions  occupied  them.  Thus,  while 
they  were  solemn  and  silent  during  the 
raging  of  this  storm,  they  were  not  fright- 
ened, for  they  knew  it  was  their 


"  God  who  rules  on  high, 
And  thunders  when  he  please, 

That  rides  upon  the  stormy  sky, 
And  manages  the  seas." 

6 


62  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

Night  closed  in,  and  found  them  engaged 
in  watching  the  huge  waves  as  they  broke 
upon  the  rocks,  one  moment  covering  them 
with  white  foam,  and  the  next,  exhibiting 
their  dark  and  ragged  surface.  Gradually 
the  storm  subsided,  like  a  sullen  child  who 
is  overpowered  by  superior  force,  but  not 
subdued  into  good  humor. 

When  the  family  assembled  round  the 
table  in  the  evening,  the  young  Stanleys 
waited  in  silence  to  know  whether  their 
uncle  would  remember  his  promise  about 
the  water-spout.  They  were  anxious  to 
hear  it,  but  they  did  not  think  it  proper  for 
them  to  remind  him  of  it. 

At  length  Mr.  Benson  broke  the  silence 
by  observing,  "  Edward,  what  do  you  sup- 
pose are  the  causes  which  produce  water- 
spouts ?" 

Edward  modestly  replied, ll  I  have  always 
supposed,  uncle,  that  they  were  brought  on 
by  very  much  the  same  circumstances  as 
those  which  on  land  produce  whirlwinds." 

"  1  believe  your  idea  is  correct,  Edward," 
replied  Mr.  Benson,  "  and  it  would  be  dim- 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHAIsT.  63 

cult  to  decide  which  is  the  more  appalling 
sight  of  the  two.  These  phenomena  are 
more  common  in  the  southern  than  in  the 
northern  hemisphere,  though  from  what 
cause  I  am  ignorant.  On  one  occasion 
while  on  a  voyage  in  the  Pacific,  I  had  an 
opportunity  of  seeing  a  water-spout  in  per- 
fection. When  our  attention  was  first 
turned  to  it,  we  observed  an  appearance  at 
a  certain  spot  at  some  distance  from  us,  as 
if  the  ocean  was  boiling  violently ;  above 
this  rested  a  cloud  of  smoke,  something 
like  the  steam  you  have  seen  hanging  over 
a  boiling  pot;  accompanying  this  was  a 
loud  noise  like  the  rushing  of  a  torrent  of 
water  ;  this  noise  was  associated  with  ano- 
ther, which  I  can  compare  to  nothing  but 
the  hissing  sound  which  you  have  noticed, 
when  the  engineer  of  a  steamboat  first  at- 
tempts to  check  the  steam,  when  his  vessel 
is  about  to  land  passengers  :  almost  imme- 
diately after  the  sound  reached  our  ears, 
we  perceived  a  column  of  steam  arising 
with  amazing  velocity  towards  the  heavens, 
apparently  not  thicker  than  a  man's  arm, 


64  A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT. 

and  through  the  steam  we  all  thought  we 
could  see  water  rising  upwards  in  a  spiral 
manner  ;  this  continued  for  the  space  of 
from  ten  to  twenty  minutes ;  then  another, 
rose  ;  finally,  a  third :  they  approached  our 
vessel,  while  our  crew  remained  almost 
breathless  with  dismay,  for  we  should  pro- 
bably have  been  destroyed  had  we  come  in 
contact :  finally,  they  passed  on,  and  the 
hearts  of  all  of  us,  even  the  most  thought- 
less, were  lifted  up  in  praise  to  Him  who 
had  preserved  us  from  so  dreadful  a  fate." 
"  Dear  uncle !  were  you  not  very  much 
frightened  by  these  awful  water-spouts?" 
inquired  Anna.  "Not  exactly  frightened, 
Anna,  but  my  mind  was  in  a  most  solemn 
state,  as  I  gazed  at  this  phenomenon  of  the 
sea,  and  realized  that  I  might  possibly  be 
on  the  verge  of  eternity."  "  Do  you  re- 
member, brother,"  inquired  Mrs.  Stanley, 
tt  the  fine  description  of  a  similar  scene  to 
that  you  have  related,  given  in  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Ellis's  Polynesian  Researches  ?" 

"  I  do,"  said   Mr.  Benson,  "  and  I  can 
assure  you  that  I  listened  to  it  with  feelings 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  65 

of  peculiar  interest,  and  should  have  no 
objection  to  hearing  it  again,  if  Edward 
feels  disposed  to  read  it." 

Edward  gladly  assented,  and  taking  the 
volume  from  his  mother's  hands,  (who  had 
brought  it  into  the  parlor  in  anticipation  of 
the  conversation  of  the  evening,)  he  read 
the  following  passages,  which  she  had 
marked  out. 

"Early  in  1819  circumstances  rendered 
it  desirable  for  us  to  visit  Raiatea,  (one  of 
the  Society  Islands.)  About  9  o'clock  in 
the  morning  Mr.  BarfT  and  myself,  accom- 
panied by  five  natives  and  an  English  sail- 
or, embarked  for  Huahine.  Though  the 
settlements  were  about  thirty  miles  apart, 
yet  as  the  width  of  the  channel  was  not 
much  more  than  twenty  miles,  the  moun- 
tains and  coast  of  the  opposite  island  were 
distinctly  visible.  The  wind  being  fair,  we 
expected  to  reach  the  Raiatean  shore  in  three 
or  four  hours,  and  to  arrive  at  the  residence 
of  our  friends  long  before  the  close  of  the 
day.  We  had  not,  however,  been  an  hour 
at  sea  when  the  heavens  began  to  gather 
6* 


6C  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

blackness,  and  lowering  clouds  intercepted 
our  view  of  the  shore  we  had  left,  and  of 
that  to  which  we  were  bound.  The  wind 
became  unsteady  and  boisterous,  the  sea 
rose,  not  in  long,  heavy  billows,  but  in 
short,  cross,  and  broken  waves.  We  had 
no  compass  on  board.  The  dark  and 
heavy  atmosphere  obscuring  the  sun  pre- 
vented our  discerning  the  land,  and  ren- 
dered us  unconscious  of  the  direction  in 
which  the  storm  was  driving  us.  We  took 
down  our  large  sails,  leaving  only  a  small 
one  in  the  forepart  of  the  boat,  merely  to 
keep  it  steady.  The  tempest  increasing,  the 
natives  were  alarmed,  and  during  the  occa- 
sional intervals  in  which  the  wind  abated 
its  violence,  the  rain  came  down  in  tremen- 
dous torrents.  The  rain  calmed  in  a  de- 
gree the  broken  and  agitated  surface  of  the 
ocean,  that  had  raged  with  threatening  vio- 
lence. Our  boat  being  small,  not  above 
eighteen  feet  long,  and  the  edge,  when  the 
sea  was  smooth,  not  more  than  a  foot  or 
eighteen  inches  above  its  surface ;  every 
wave  that  broke  near  threw  its  spray  over 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  67 

us,  and  each  billow  in  striking  our  little 
bark  forced  part  of  its  foaming  waters  over 
the  bow  on  both  sides.  Happily  we  had  a 
bucket  on  board,  by  means  of  which  we 
were  able  to  bale  out  the  water.  In  this 
state  we  continued,  I  suppose,  about  two 
hours,  hoping  that  the  clouds  would  dis- 
perse, and  the  winds  abate  ;  but  instead  of 
this  the  storm  seemed  to  increase,  and  with 
it  our  danger.  Most  of  the  natives  sat  down 
in  the  bottom  of  the  boat ;  and  under  the 
influence  of  fear,  either  shut  their  eyes  or 
covered  them  with  their  hands,  expecting 
every  moment  that  the  waves  would  close 
over  us.  We  were  not  unconscious  of  our 
peril,  and  as  a  last  resource  took  down  our 
little  sail  and  our  mast,  tied  the  masts,  bow- 
sprit, and  oars  together  in  a  bundle  with 
one  end  of  a  strong  rope,  and  fastening  the 
other  end  to  the  bow  of  our  boat,  threw 
them  into  the  sea.  The  bundle  of  masts, 
<fec.  acted  as  a  kind  of  buoy  or  floating  an- 
chor, and  not  only  broke  the  force  of  the 
billows  that  were  rolling  towares  the  boat, 
but  kept  it  tolerably  steady  while  we  were 


68  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

dashed  on  the  broken  waves,  or  wafted  we 
knew  not  whither  by  the  raging  tempest. 

"  The  rain  soon  abated,  and  the  northern 
horizon  became  somewhat  clear,  but  the 
joyful  anticipations  with  which  we  viewed 
this  change,  were  soon  superseded  by  a  new 
train  of  feelings.  Ure,  ure,  tea,  moana  ! 
exclaimed  one  of  the  natives  ;  and  looking 
in  the  direction  to  which  he  pointed,  we 
saw  a  large  cylindrical  water-spout,  ex- 
tending like  a  massive  column  from  the 
ocean  to  the  dark  and  impending  clouds. 
It  was  not  very  distant,  and  seemed  moving 
towards  our  apparently  devoted  boat.  The 
roughness  of  the  sea  forbade  our  attempt- 
ing to  hoist  a  sail  in  order  to  avoid  it ;  and 
as  we  had  no  other  means  of  safety  at  com- 
mand, we  endeavoured  calmly  to  await  its 
approach.  The  natives  abandoned  them- 
selves to  despair,  and  either  threw  them- 
selves along  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  or 
sat  crouching  on  the  keel  with  their  faces 
downwards,  and  their  eyes  covered  with 
their  hands.  The  sailor  kept  at  the  helm, 
Mr.  BarrT  sat  at  one  side  of  the  stern,  and  1 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 


on  the  other,  watching  the  alarming  object 
before  ns.  While  thus  employed,  we  saw 
two  other  water-spouts,  and  afterwards  a 
third,  if  not  more,  so  that  we  seemed  al- 
most surrounded  by  them.  Some  were 
well  defined,  extending  in  an  unbroken  line 
from  the  sea  to  the  sky,  like  pillars  resting 
on  the  ocean  as  their  basis,  and  supporting 
the  clouds  ;  others  assuming  the  form  of  a 
funnel,  or  an  inverted  cone  attached  to  the 
clouds,  and  extending  towards  the  sea  be- 
neath. From  the  distinctness  with  which 
we  saw  them,  notwithstanding'  the  density 
of  the  atmosphere,  the  farthest  could  not 
have  been  many  miles  distant.  In  some 
we  imagined  we  could  trace  the  spiral  mo- 
tion of  the  water  as  it  was  drawn  upwards 
to  the  clouds,  which  were  every  moment 
augmenting  their  portentous  darkness.  The 
sense  of  personal  danger,  and  immediate*  de- 
struction if  brought  within  the  vortex  of 
their  influence,  restrained  in  a  great  degree 
all  curious,  and  what  in  other  circumstan- 
ces would  have  been  interesting  observa- 
tions on  the  wonderful  phenomena  around 


70  A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT. 


us,  the  mighty  agitation  of  the  elements, 
and  the  terrific  sublimity  of  these  wonders 
of  the  deep.  The  roaring  of  the  tempest, 
and  the  hollow  sounds  that  murmured  on 
the  ear  as  the  heavy  billow  rolled  by  in 
foam,  or  broke  in  contact  with  an  opposing 
billow,  seemed  as  if  '  deep  called  unto  deep,' 
and  'the  noise  of  water-spouts  might  al- 
most be  heard,  while  we  were  momentarily 
expecting  that  the  mighty  waves  would 
sweep  over  us.'  The  hours  that  followed 
were  among  the  most  solemn  I  have  ever 
passed.  Although  much  recurred  to  me- 
mory that  demanded  deep  regret  and  the 
most  sincere  repentance,  yet  I  could  look 
back  upon  that  mercy  which  had  first 
brought  me  to  a  knowledge  of  the  Saviour 
with  a  gratitude  deeper  than  I  had  ever 
felt  before.  Him,  and  Him  alone,  I  found 
to  be  a  refuge,  a  rock  in  the  storm  of  con- 
tending feelings,  on  which  my  soul  could 
cast  the  anchor  of  its  hope  for  pardon  and 
acceptance  before  God:  and  although  not 
visibly  present  as  with  his  disciples  on  the 
sea  of  Tiberias,  we  could  not  but  hope  that 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  71 

He  was  spiritually  present,  and  that  should 
our  bodies  rest  till  the  morning  of  the  resur- 
rection in  the  unfathomed  caverns  of  the, 
ocean,  our  souls  would  be  by  Him  admitted 
to  the  abodes  of  blessedness  and  rest.  I  could 
not  but  think  how  awful  my  state  would 
have  been  had  I  in  that  hour  been  ignorant 
of  Christ,  or  had  I  neglected  or  despised  the 
offers  of  his  mercy :  and  while  the  reflec- 
tion induced  thankfulness  to  Him,  through 
whom  alone  we  had  been  made  to  share  a 
hope  of  immortality,  it  awakened  a  tender 
sympathy  for  our  fellow- voyagers,  who  sat 
in  mournful  silence  at  the  helm  and  bottom 
of  the  boat,  and  who  seemed  averse  to  con- 
versation. Our  prayers  were  offered  to 
Him  who  is  a  present  help  in  every  time  of 
danger,  for  ourselves,  and  for  those  who 
sailed  with  us  :  and  under  these  or  similar 
circumstances  several  hours  passed  away. 
The  storm  continued  during  the  day ;  at 
intervals  we  beheld  through  the  clouds  and 
rain  one  or  other  of  the  water-spouts,  the 
whole  of  which  appeared  almost  stationary, 
until  at  length  welost  si^ht  of  them  alto- 


72  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

gether,  when  the  spirits  of  our  native  voy- 
agers evidently  revived. 

"  Throughout  the  Pacific,  water  spouts 
of  varied  form  and  size,  are  among  the  most 
frequent  of  the  splendid  phenomena,  and 
mighty  works  of  the  Lord,  which  those  be- 
hold who  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships,  and 
who  do  business  upon  the  great  waters. 
They  are  sublime  objects  of  interest  when 
viewed  from  the  shore ;  but  when  beheld  at 
sea,  especially  if  near,  and  from  a  small  and 
fragile  bark,  as  we  had  seen  them,  it  is  al- 
most impossible  so  to  divest  the  mind  of  a 
sense  of  personal  danger,  as  to  contemplate 
with  composure  their  stately  movements, 
or  the  rapid  internal  circular  eddy  of  the 
waters."* 

Here  Edward  paused,  and  returned  the 
volume  to  his  mother,  for  he  perceived  that 
the  pencilled  lines  with  which  she  was  ac- 
customed to  mark  such  passages  as  she 
wished  them  to  read,  extended  no  further. 
As  he  gave  it  to  her,  he  said,  "  Thank  you, 

*  Vol.  II.  Polynesian  Researches. 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT  73 

dear  mother,  for  thinking  of  this  account  of 
Mr.  Ellis,  and  giving  it  to  me  to  read ;  it 
has  brought  the  scene  so  completely  before 
me,  that  I  actually  felt  as  if  I  could  see  the 
water-spouts  with  my  own  eyes,  and  I  long- 
ed to  be  in  the  boat  with  them." 

"  Oh,  brother  !"  exclaimed  Emma,  "  how 
could  you  wish  to  be  there  !  •  I  am  sure  all 
the  time  you  were  reading,  I  could  not  help 
thinking  how  glad  I  was  that  I  was  in  un- 
cle's nice  parlor,  instead  of  being  tossed 
about  on  the  ocean  in  that  dreadful  storm. 
Even  hearing  of  others  having  been  there, 
made  me  tremble  all  over." 

"  Remember,  my  daughter,"  said  her  mo- 
ther with  a  smile,  "  Edward  belongs  to  the 
stronger  sex,  and  has  by  nature  a  very 
courageous  disposition,  though  I  cannot  but 
think  if  he  were  to  find  himself  at  this  mo- 
ment transferred  to  a  frail  bark,  which  was 
tossing  about  on  the  tempestuous  ocean, 
and  an  awful  water-spout  before  him,  he 
too  might  wish  to  be  on  the  safe  and  quiet 
land." 

*  I  think  still,  dear  mother,"  he  replied, 
7 


74  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

"  that  I  should  like  to  be  present  at  such  a 
scene,  but  I  will  not  be  too  sure,  because 
you  have  taught  me  to  see  what  a  deceit- 
ful heart  I  have." 

"  There  is  one  thing,  my  dear  children," 
observed  Mrs.  Stanley,  "  that  I  wish  to  no- 
tice particularly  in  Mr.  Ellis's  narrative, 
which  is  the  description  that  he  gives  of  the 
peace  of  mind  which  faith  in  Christ  imparts 
at  such  moments.  You  will  most  probably 
never  be  placed  exactly  in  similar  circum- 
stances, but  sudden  death  may  threaten  us 
on  land  as  well  as  on  the  stormy  ocean  ;  a 
thousand  events  may  occur  to  place  your 
lives  suddenly  in  peril,  and  believe  me,  my 
children,  such  moments  are  not  the  ones  to 
make  your  peace  with  an  offended  God. 
The  soul  is  too  much  agitated,  too  full  of 
terror,  to  be  master  of  its  powers.  So  much 
is  felt  necessary  to  be  done,  that  the  mind 
becomes  bewildered,  and  tod  often  nothing 
is  done,  I  fear,  effectual  to  salvation,  and 
the  poor  thoughtless  despiser  of  God's 
word,  or  the  negligent  hearer  of  it,  pass 
from  these  scenes  stupified  almost  with  ter- 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  75 

ror,  and  only  regain  their  full  powers  of 
consciousness,  when  it  is  too  late,  and  they 
find  themselves  alone  and  helpless — self- 
condemned  sinners  before  the  throne  of 
God.  Mr.  Ellis  remarks  that  he  found  in 
the  prospect  of  death,  '  Christ,  and  Christ 
only,  could  be  a  refuge  for  his  soul.'  Oh  ! 
let  us  pray  continually,  that  the  <  Almighty 
and  everlasting  God  would  mercifully  look 
upon  our  infirmities,  and  that  in  all  our 
dangers  and  necessities,  He  would  stretch 
forth  His  right  hand  to  help  and  defend  us, 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.' 

1  While  I  draw  this  fleeting  breath, 
When  mine  eyelids  close  in  death, 
When  I  rise  to  worlds  unknown, 
And  behold  thee  on  thy  throne, 
Rock  of  Ages  !  cleft  for  me, 
Let  me  hide  myself  in  thee '' " 


76  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

■"  Gem,  flower,  and  fish, — the  bird,  the  brute 

Of  every  kind,  occult  or  known, 
(Each  exquisitely  formed  to  suit 

Its  humble  lot,  and  that  alone,) 
Through  ocean,  earth,  and  air  fulfil 
Unconsciously  their  Maker's  will, 
Who  gave  without  their  care  or  thought 

Strength,  beauty,  instinct,  courage,  speed  ; 
While  through  the  whole  His  pleasure  wrought 

Whate'er  His  wisdom  had  decreed." 

It  is  always  delightful,  in  whatever  situ- 
ation we  may  be  placed,  after  having  re- 
tired to  rest  in  the  midst  of  a  tempest,  to 
awake  on  the  following  morning  and  find 
the  storm  has  vanished,  and  the  night  of 
darkness  has  given  place  to  a  day  of  bright 
sunshine.  But  though  this  change  is  most 
grateful  every  where,  it  is  particularly  so 
to  those  who  at  such  times  may  be  station- 
ed near  the  ocean.  Its  waters  then  appear 
of  a  more  beautiful  blue,  and  the  waves, 
not  recovered  from  the  agitation  of  the  past 
storm,  are  dashed  with  greater  power  and 
majesty  on  the  beach.     The  spectator  feels 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  77 

his  spirits  raised  in  a  more  than  ordinary- 
degree,  and  he  is  almost  tempted  to  think 
he  is  better  than  usual,  because  he 'is  hap- 
pier. 

The  party  at  the  cottage,  as  they  looked 
out  on  the  face  of  nature  on  the  morning 
after  the  storm,  seemed  inspired  with  feel- 
ings of  this  kind.  Every  one  appeared  full 
of  life ;  and  when,  after  breakfast,  Mr.  Ben- 
son's voice  was  heard  as  he  summoned  his 
guests,  saying,  "  To  the  beach  !  to  the 
beach  !  I  prophesy  that  you  will  find  some 
spoils  that  are  worth  gathering,  after  the 
tempest  of  yesterday,"  the  cheerful  sum- 
mons was  joyfully  met  and  answered  by 
the  happy  voices  of  Edward  and  his  sisters, 
and  in  a  few  moments  the  party  were  wend- 
ing their  way  to  the  sea. 

Mrs.  Stanley  remained  at  home  to  attend 
to  something  which  required  her  presence, 
and  while  she  was  thus  engaged  in  a  back 
room,  she  heard  the  light  and  rapid  foot- 
steps of  a  young  person  crossing  the  piazza, 
and  in  a  moment  after,  Anna  entered  the 
apartment  in  which  her  mother  was  sitting.. 
7* 


78  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

Her  hat  was  thrown  back,  and  her  generally- 
mild  and  gentle  countenance  was  flushed 
with  pleasure,  as,  she  opened  her  apron  to 
show  her  mother  the  treasures  she  had  been 
collecting.  "  See,  dear,  dear  mother,  what  I 
have  found  ;  they  look  very  much  like  the 
sea-eggs  which  you  have  in  your  cabinet ; 
can  they  be  the  same  kind  of  thing? 
Yours  have  not  these  sharp  green  things 
like  thorns  over  them,  and  are  prettier 
than  mine  ;  but  I  hope  these  will  look 
whiter  when  I  have  washed  the  sand  off 
them." 

Her  mother  took  one  of  Anna's  new  found 
treasures  into  her  hand,  and  after  she  had 
looked  at  it  for  a  few  moments,  she  said, 
"  You  have  indeed  been  very  fortunate  in 
finding  these  things,  my  dear.  They  are, 
.■as  you  supposed,  sea-eggs,  or  as  they  are 
sometimes  called,  sea-urchins  ;  and  though 
they  are  not  so  white  as  those  which  you 
have  seen  in  my  cabinet,  they  are  much 
more  valuable.  Yours  have  been  killed 
very  recently,  probably  by  being  thrown 
violently  on  the  beach  during  the  tempest 


ECHINUS,  OR  SEA-URCHIN 


Fig.  1. 
Shell,  with  a  few  spines  remaining. 


Fig.  2. 
Lower  part  of  the  shell,  showing  the  mouth  and  five  teeth 

Fig.  2,  taken  from  Kirby's  Bridgewater  Treatise. 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 


last  evening.  They  contain  the  animal  in 
the  inside,  and  will  give  us  an  uncommon- 
ly good  opportunity  for  examination." 

"  Please,  dear  mother,"  said  Anna,  "  to 
give  us  this  evening  some  account  of  them, 
for  it  would  be  such  a  pity  for  you  to  tell 
me  about  them  now,  when  brother  and 
Emma  are  away.  You  know  they  will 
enjoy  hearing  of  the  sea-urchins  very 
much." 

By  and  by,  the  rest  of  the  party  returned, 
but  when  they  had  each  brought  their  offer- 
ings, Anna's  were  pronounced  decidedly 
the  most  valuable.  Mrs.  Stanley  watched 
the  countenances  of  her  children  with  some 
anxiety,  for  she  was  fearful  lest  some  una- 
miable  feelings  might  be  displayed  by  them 
on  this  occasion.  Though  the  prize  gained 
was  in  this  instance  a  small  one,  she  knew 
the  corruptions  of  the  human  heart  too  well 
not  to  be  aware  that  the  most  trifling  ad- 
vantage possessed  by  another,  will  some- 
times be  sufficient  to  rouse  envy  in  the 
breast.  But  the  heart  of  the  Christian  mo- 
ther was  gratified  in  seeing  how  warmly 


82  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

Edward  and  Emma  sympathized  in  the 
pleasure  of  Anna.  She  had  found  several 
sea-eggs,  and  she  insisted  on  dividing  them 
with  her  companions :  after  they  had  been 
examined  for  a  time  they  were  put  by  un- 
til the  evening,  when  Mrs.  Stanley  pro- 
mised to  give  her  children  some  little  his 
tory  of  them. 

When  the  young  Stanleys  received  a 
message  from  their  uncle  after  tea,  sum- 
moning them  to  the  drawing-room,  they 
immediately  came  into  the  house,  and  when 
they  entered  it,  they  observed  he  had  ar- 
ranged Anna's  sea-urchins  on  the  table,  and 
by  their  side  had  placed  some  beautiful 
white  ones  of  his  own,  which  were  entirely 
free  from  spines. 

"The  Echinus,  or  Sea-egg,"  said  Mrs. 
Stanley,  "is  a  very  large  genus  of  animals, 
included  like  the  Medusae,  until  lately,  un- 
der the  class  of  Zoophytes.  These  ani- 
mals all  have  round  or  oval-shaped  shells, 
though  they  are  divided  into  a  great  many 
species.  Many  of  these  are  now  only  found 
in  a  fossil  state,  numerous  specimens  of 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  83 

which  are  to  be  seen  in  all  the  large  muse- 
ums of  this  country.  These  I  will  not 
trouble  you  with  at  this  time,  and  will  only 
describe  some  of  those  which  are  found 
abundantly  at  the  present  day  in  a  living 
state,  in  different  parts  of  the  world.  I  told 
you  some  evenings  since,  that  the  Medussa 
have  been  separated  by  some  modern 
naturalists  into  an  order  to  which  they 
give  the  name  of  Gelatines  ;  another  order 
is  added  to  this,  and  both  together  form 
Lamarch's  class  of  Radiaries.  It  is  under 
the  second  that  the  Echinus,  or  sea-urchin 
is  placed,  with  some  other  very  interesting 
sea-animals,  that  I  hope  to  be  able  to  tell 
you  about  hereafter,  as  they  are  quite  as 
interesting  as  any  you  have  yet  heard  of." 
Mrs.  Stanley  now  took  up  one  of  the  shells 
of  the  sea-urchin  which  her  brother  had 
given  her,  in  order  to  explain  its  singular 
formation  to  her  children.  It  was  not,  like 
Anna's,  covered  with  spines,  neither  was  it 
closed  at  the  bottom,  but  was  beautifully 
white,  and  entirely  hollow  throughout.  She 
told  them  that  the  empty  sea-urchin  shells 


84  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

had  probably  been  beating  about  on  the 
shore  for  a  longtime,  and  had  been  whiten- 
ed by  the  effect  of  the  heat  of  the  sun. 

"  I  am  going  to  call  in  the  aid  of  a  very 
powerful  assistant,"  said  Mrs.  Stanley,  "  in 
my  attempt  to  describe  the  singular  forma- 
tion of  the  sea-urchin,  since  1  rind  his  work 
contains  more  valuable  information  than 
that  of  any  other  author  I  have  consulted ; 
and  I  shall  be  enabled  also  to  avail  myself 
of  some  of  his  interesting  plates  in  addition. 
The  author  to  whom  I  allude  is  the  Rev. 
William  Kirby  of  England,  in  his  number 
of  the  Bridgewater  Treatises.  I  will  give 
you,  in  as  simple  language  as  I  can,  the  ac- 
count of  l  the  wonderful  manner  in  which 
the  house  that  these  animals  reside  in,  is 
constructed  by  its  Divine  builder,'  to  use 
his  own  language.  The  shell  of  the  sea- 
urchin  is  formed  by  two  coverings  or  mem- 
branes, one  outer  and  thicker,  and  the 
other  very  thin.  Between  these  is  a  shell 
of  a  limy  kind,  composed  of  a  great  num- 
ber of  many-sided  pieces,  which  you  will 
perceive  by  looking  at  this  shell  which  I 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  85 

have  broken  ;  you  observe  it  does  not  crack 
in  a  straight  line,  or  in  an  irregular  crooked 
one,  but  in  pieces  which  have  the  same 
zigzag  shape  uniformly.  I  can  explain 
the  construction  of  this  shell  better  by  tak- 
ing one  apart,  and  your  uncle  has  been  so 
kind  as  to  give  me  a  shell  on  purpose  to 
break  for  you." 

"  Thank  you,  dear  uncle,  for  your  kind- 
ness," said  all  the  young  people. 

"  I  will  now  separate  it,"  continued  Mrs. 
Stanley  ;  "  you  observe  that  I  have  divided 
it  into  many  little  strips  shaped  somewhat 
like  the  slices  of  a  muskmelon  when  cut 
for  table.  Edward  may  count  the  number." 

He  did  so,  and  told  his  mother  that  there 
were  twenty  of  these  pieces. 

"  You  will  observe,"  said  she,  "  that  ten 
of  these  pieces  are  covered  with  round 
lumps  sticking  out  from  the  shell,  some  of 
which  are  larger  than  others  ;  the  remain- 
ing ten  are  pierced  with  rows  of  little  holes, 
like  pin  holes  ;  it  is  from  the  rows  of  holes 
that  the  tentacles  or  feelers  of  the  animal 
are  thrust  out,  while,  the  rows  of  little  pro- 
8 


86  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

tuberances  or  lumps  were  covered  with  the 
spines.  Observe  when  I  pluck  off  a  spine 
from  one  of  Anna's  sea-urchins;  under- 
neath it  is  one  of  these  lumps.  Each  one 
then  in  these  rows  had  once  a  spine  fitted  on 
it  like  a  ball  and  socket.  The  animal,  when 
alive  in  the  inside  of  the  shell,  was  able  to 
move  the  spines  at  pleasure,  or  thrust  its 
feelers  through  these  tiny  holes.-' 

"  I  believe,  mother,"  said  Edward,  '( that 
the  sea-urchin  uses  these  spines  to  turn 
itself  about  with,  like  the  spokes  of  a  wheel ; 
at  least  I  have  read  of  their  doing  so." 

"  It  is,  I  believe,  generally  thought  so," 
replied  Mrs.  Stanley ;  "  and  Mr.  Kirby  says 
expressly,  that  he  thinks  the  sea-urchin  em- 
ploys its  spines  in  moving  itself  about,  using 
some  as  legs  to  advance  forward,  and  others 
to  prevent  itself  from  being  thrown  back 
again.  And  he  tells  us,  that  it  is  by  means 
of  the  spines  that  they  bury  themselves  in 
the  sand  on  the  sea-shore.  Spallahzini, 
however,  was  of  a  different  opinion,  and  if 
you  are  disposed  to  listen  to  him  again,  I 
will  tell  you  how  he  came  to  this  conclusion." 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  87 

"  I  will  give  my  vote,"  said  Mr.  Benson, 
"  to  allow  the  traveller  a  hearing,  as  I  have 
not  forgotten  his  history  of  the  Medusae. 
What  say  the  young  people  ?  All  who  are 
in  favor  of  my  motion  will  say  aye." 

The  young  Stanleys  gave  their  votes 
in  the  affirmative,  and  Mrs.  Stanley  went 
on  with  her  narrative. 

"  The  traveller  declares  that  the  fact  of 
the  sea-urchins  being  armed  with  thick 
spines,  and  also  furnished  with  a  prodigious 
quantity  of  feelers  which  they  thrust  forth 
or  conceal  at  pleasure,  is  too  well  known 
for  any  one  to  attempt  to  dispute.  While 
this  is  evident  to  all  who  will  take  the  trou- 
ble to  examine  the  animals,  it  has  been  by 
no  means  so  settled  a  matter,  which  of  these 
two  parts  of  its  body  it  uses  in  moving  from 
place  to  place.  Some  time  before  writing 
this  account,  Spallanzini  tells  us  that  he 
had  an  opportunity  of  examining  a  number 
of  sea-urchins,  in  the  Gulf  of  Spezzia,  and 
the  result  of  these  experiments  convinced 
him,  that  if  the  animal  is  taken  out  of  the 
water,  (in  which  state  it  will  live  but  a  short 


88  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

time,)  it  will  move  itself  solely  by  its  spines ; 
but  on  the  contrary,  so  long  as  it  remains 
in  its  native  element,  its  removal  from  place 
to  place  will  be  effected  entirely  by  means 
of  its  tentacula  or  feelers.  He  took  five 
sea-urchins,  which  were  brought  up  by  the 
coral  fishermen  when  fishing  for  coral,  and 
put  them  immediately  into  a  bucket  of  sea- 
water,  in  order  to  examine  them  on  his  re- 
turn to  Messina,  a  few  hours  afterwards. 
While  he  was  returning  he  observed,  that 
notwithstanding  the  agitation  of  the  water, 
caused  by  the  motion  of  the  bark,  all  five 
of  them  had  ascended  from  the  bottom  of 
the  bucket  up  the  sides,  almost  to  the  top, 
where  they  remained  fixed  by  means  of 
their  feelers.  This  convinced  him  that  the 
feelers  were  not  only  of  use  to  fasten  the 
animals,  but  also  to  enable  them  to  move 
about.  He  then  separated  them,  though 
with  a  good  deal  of  difficulty,  from  the 
bucket,  because  he  wished  to  watch  them 
ascend,  and  see  how  they  managed  matters, 
and  placed  them  at  the  bottom  of  a  glass 
bucket,  wicn  smooth,  straight  sides.     One 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  89 

of  them  he  placed  with  its  mouth  upwards, 
which  is  an  unnatural  position  for  the  sea- 
urchin,  for  when  at  home,  in  the  bottom  of 
the  sea,  they  always  have  their  mouths 
downwards.  This  poor  thing,  feeling  un- 
comfortable in  the  position  in  which  the 
traveller  had  placed  it,  made  a  violent  effort 
to  recover  its  natural  posture.  On  one  side 
it  thrust  out  fifty  or  more  of  its  feelers, 
spreading  them  as  much  as  possible,  and 
fixing  them  to  the  bottom 'of  the  vessel.  It 
then  drew  them  in,  and  by  so  doing  some- 
what raised  its  body.  <  It  was  now,  as  it 
were,  on  one  side,  and  it  remained  in  that 
position  by  holding  fast  with  its  contracted 
feelers.  It  then  put  forth  other  feelers  on  the 
same  side,  drew  in  these  also  when  firmly 
fixed  and  let  go  the  others  first  thrust  out, 
and  made  a  still  farther  turn  of  its  body. 
When  it  had  performed  this  curious  ope- 
ration several  times  in  succession,  it  suc- 
ceeded finally  in  getting  its  mouth  in  its 
natural  position,  downwards.  "  Now  what 
do  you  think  of  our  little  friend's  contri- 
vance V:  asked  Mrs.  Stanley,  with  a  smile. 
8* 


90  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

"  I  think,"  said  Edward,  "  that  he  is  an 
uncommonly  smart  fellow,  and  really  seems 
to  have  had  a  will  of  his  own." 

His  mother  remarked,  "  We  may  indeed 
say  with  Kirby,  '  Who  can  say  that  the  all- 
wise  Creator  did  not  foresee  all  the  situa- 
tions into  which  this  animal  would  be 
thrown,  so  as  to  provide  it  with  every  thing 
that  it  would  require.'  We  will  now  go 
back  to  Spallanzini's  five  urchins  which  we 
left  in  the  glass  bu'cket.  He  tells  us  that  after 
the  one  which  I  described  to  you  succeeded 
in  getting  back  to  its  natural  position,  it, 
with  the  rest,  travelled  rapidly  up  the  sides 
of  the  bucket,  until  they  all  reached  the 
top  of  the  water.  In  the  ascent,  he  ascer- 
tained by  a  means  which  I  cannot  approve 
of,  that  the  animals  only  used  the  feelers — 
it  was  by  cutting  off  the  spines  of  one  of 
them ;  when,  notwithstanding  this  loss,  it 
turned  itself  over  and  moved  up  the  bucket 
by  its  feelers  alone,  as  well  as  the  others 
which  still  possessed  their  spines." 

"You  told  us,  mother,"  said  Edward, 
"  that  after  the  sea-urchins  had  risen  to  the 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  91 

top  of  the  water,  they  fastened  themselves 
to  the  sides  of  the  bucket.  I  do  feel  very- 
curious  to  know  by  what  means  they 
could  fasten  themselves  to  the  smooth  glass 
so  as  to  make  it  difficult  to  take  them  off 
again." 

"I  do  not  wonder  that  your  curiosity  is 
excited,  Edward,"  said  Mr.  Benson  ;  "  I  am 
sure  mine  is,  and  I  could  hardly  credit  the 
fact,  did  not  your  mother  give  it  on 
such  good  authority ;  and  were  I  not  fully 
convinced  of  the  infinite  wisdom  and  love 
of  our  Heavenly  Father,  in  meeting  the 
wants  of  the  most  humble  of  his  crea- 
tures." 

"  I  must  own,"  said  Mrs.  Stanley,  "  I  was 
deeply  affected  with  the  proof  of '  that  ten- 
der mercy  which  is  over  all  His  works,' 
when  I  read  this  part  of  the  narrative  of 
Spallanzini ;  and  I  could  not  but  feel  a  most 
painful  void  in  it,  when  I  found  him  descri- 
bing with  such  minuteness  the  skill  of  the 
contrivance,  and  yet  not  offering  one  mo- 
mentary tribute  of  praise  to  Him  who  had 
designed  it.     I  found  myself  saying  invol- 


92  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

untarily,  <  Praise  the  Lord,  oh  my  soul,  and 
all  that  is  within  me  :  Praise  His  holy 
name  !'  He  mentions  a  fact  which  Droves 
the  tenacity  with  which  the  sea-urchins 
adhered  to  the  sides  of  the  smooth  glass 
bucket.  While  one  of  the  creatures  was  in 
this  position,  he  laid  on  its  spines  a  lead 
weight  of  32  qz.  ;  notwithstanding  which,  it 
still  kept  a  tight  hold ;  and  before  he  could 
force  it  down,  he  was  obliged  to  add  an  ad- 
ditional .  7  oz.  piece  of  lead.  After  men- 
tioning this,  he  says,  'But  what  shall  we 
suppose  to  be  the  cause  of  so  strong  an  ad- 
hesion to  bodies  of  so  great  smoothness  as 
glass?  The  following  observations  will 
serve  as  an  answer :  If  we  view  the  feelers 
of  the  sea-urchin  through  the  sides  of  the 
glass  vessel  at  the  time  the  animal  stretches 
them  out,  and  before  he  fixes  them,  we  shall 
find  that  they  are  of  a  white  color,  and 
that  each  of  them  terminates  in  a  little  pro- 
tuberance, having  a  hole  in  the  middle  of 
it.  When  one  of  the  feelers  is  viewed 
through  a  microscope,  it  is  found  that  there 
is  a  little  canal  leading  all  the  way  down 


A  SECTION   OP   THE  INSIDE   OP   THE   SHELL   OP   THE 
ECHINUS,  OR  SEA-URCHIN. 


A.  One  of  the  frames  to  which  the  jaws  are  attached. 

B.  The  outside  of  one  of  the  jaws. 

C .  The  inner  and  furrowed  side  of  the  jaw. 


Taken  from  Kirbv's  B.  T. 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  96 

the  feetar  from  its  root  in  the  body  of  the 
animal,  &iid  ending  in  this  little  hole,  in 
what  we  call  the  foot.  If  the  feeler  is 
pressed  with  a  piece  of  wire,  there  will  be 
found  issuing  from  this  small  hole,  a  very 
little  drop  of  extremely  sticky  liquor.  With 
this  glue,  as  it  were,  the  animal  fastens  it- 
self where  it  pleases.  Spallanzini  tells  us 
that  the  feelers  were  so  very  transparent, 
that  he  was  enabled  by  the  aid  of  a  micro- 
scope, to  see  the  means  which  the  sea-ur- 
chins employ  to  obtain  so  strong  a  hold ; 
they  press  their  little  fe6t  strongly  against 
the  glass,  and  thus  force  away  the  sea-wa- 
ter, and  then  stretching  thsm  they  form  a 
little  cavity  with  the  bottom  of  them,  into 
which  they  force  immediately  the  glutinous 
matter  which  fastens  them  so  firmly." 

"  This  is  indeed  wonderful,  mother,"  said 
Edward,  "  and  is  it  not  pecuiifcr  to  the  sea- 
urchin?" 

"  No,  my  dear,  it  is  not,"  said  fcer  mother. 
"  There  are  many  other  varieties  of  shells, 
which  attach  themselves  in  a  similar  man- 
ner.    The  common  marine  mus«  le  posses- 


96  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

ses  the  power  in  a  striking  degree.  Smellie, 
in  his  interesting  work  on  Natural  History, 
asserts  some  extraordinary  facts  with  regard 
to  this  animal,  which  I  will  relate  to  you 
on  another  occasion.  At  present,  we  must 
confine  ourselves  to  the  sea-urchin  ;  at  least, 
if  you  feel  inclined  to  hear  any  more  of 
the  won  ers  of  its  dwelling  house." 

"lam  sure  we  all  are  anxious  to  do  so," 
replied  Edward,  "  I  was  only  afraid  there 
was  no  more  to  be  told." 

"  You  have  been  informed  of  many  of 
the  proofs  of  the  skill  and  tender  considera- 
tions of  God,  which  are  displayed  in  the 
formation  of  this  humble  inhabitant  of  the 
mighty  deep,  but  other  and  still  more  strik- 
ing ones,  remain  to  be  told.  Kirby  assures 
us,  *  that  the  most  powerful  and  complex 
organs  with  which  the  Creator  has  fur- 
nished them,  are  their  jaws  and  teeth.'" 

Emma  and  Anna  both  showed  symptoms 
of  surprise  and  amazement,  at  the  mention 
of  these  organs  in  the  sea-urchin,  and 
Emma  took  one  of  the  sea-urchins  which 
her  sister  had  found,  and  turned  it  round 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  97 

and  round  with  a  bewildered  look.  Ed- 
ward laughed  outright.  "  Poor  Emma,"  said 
he,  "  you  look  quite  as  much  puzzled  as  you 
did  that  famous  day  when  I  tried  to  make 
you  look  at  some  clams  feeding." 

She  bore  her  brother's  smile  very  good- 
naturedly,  and  turning  to  her  mother,  begged 
that  she  would  be  so  good  as  to  show  her 
where  the  mouth  and  jaws  of  the  sea-urchin 
were.  Her  mother  took  up  one  of  the  shells 
and  showed  Emma  in  the  bottom  of  it,  a 
little  space  directly  in  the  middle,  which 
seemed  to  be  formed  of  something  like 
parchment.  In  the  centre  were  5  small 
white  teeth,  (plate  3,  fig.  2.)  These  she 
told  her  were  the  mouth  and  teeth  of  the 
animal,  but  its  jaws  were  in  the  inside. 
Mrs.  Stanley  then  took  one  of  Anna's  shells 
and  asked  whether  she  might  open  it.  Anna 
cheerfully  consented,  and  her  mother  took 
it  apart  in  order  to  explain  the  wonderful 
manner  in  which  it  was  made.*  It  con- 
sisted of  five  pieces,  each  of  which  formed 
an  arch,  and  the  whole  a  frame  which  she 


*  Kirby's  Bridgewater  Treatise,  page  112. 

.7 


98  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

said  had  been  compared  to  a  lanthorn  with- 
out a  skin,"  (plate  4,  fig.  a.)  To  these  were 
attached  the  moveable  part  of  the  appara- 
tus, consisting  of  5  jaws,  each  containing  a 
long  tooth,  (plate  4,  fig.  b,  c,)  the  teeth  con- 
verging so  as  to  close  the  mouth.  Alto- 
gether, this  complex  machine  consisted  of 
25  pieces,  moved  by  35  muscles."  She 
told  them  that  this  apparatus  was  of  a  much 
more  powerful  kind,  than  that  furnished 
by  God  to  the  mighty  whale,  that  it  was 
supposed  the  little  sea-urchin  really  lived 
on  food  that  was  more  difficult  to  bruise 
and  chew,  than  that  which  supplied  the 
wants  of  the  great  monarch  of  the  deep. 

"I  cannot  omit,"  said  Mrs.  Stanley,  "in 
conclusion,  to  quote  a  few  lines  from  Mr. 
Kirby,  where  he  closes  his  account  of  the 
sea-urchin,  since  it  will  furnish  a  most  ap- 
propriate termination  to  the  conversation 
of  the  evening.  After  describing  all  their 
various  organs,  he  continues,  '  The  work- 
manship also,  in  these  animal  structures,  is 
as  beautiful  and  striking,  as  the  contrivance 
manifested  in  them  is  wonderful.     Their 


A  VISIT  TO  NaHANT.  99 

protuberances,  their  variously  sculptured 
spines,  their  tentacular  suckers,  all  by  their 
perfect  finish  and  admirable  forms  declare 
— l  The  hand  that  made  us  is  divine,'  since 
they  exceed  in  these  respects,  the  most 
elaborate  human  works.' " 


CHAPTER  VII. 

"One  spirit — His, 
That  wore  the  platted  thorn  with  bleeding  brows, 
Rules  universal  nature." 

One  evening,  when  the  party  at  the  cot- 
tage were  seated  at  the  open  windows,  ga- 
zing at  the  beautiful  ocean,  which  was 
tinged  with  silver  by  the  beams  of  a  new 
moon,  Mrs.  Stanley  inquired  of  her  bro- 
ther, if  he  had  ever  been  so  fortunate  as  to 
find  any  of  the  Sea-anemonies,  or  animal 
flowers,  in  their  open  state,  as  she  said  she 
had  been  told  they  were  occasionally  met 
with  on  the  rocks  of  Nahant,  at  very  low 
water. 

"  So  I  have  been  told,"  replied  Mr.  Ben- 
son, "  though  I  have  never  been  so  fortu- 
nate as  to  see  them.     It  requires  younger 


100  A.  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

and  more  adventurous  limbs  than  mine  to 
scale  these  precipitous  rocks." 

When  Mr.  Benson  had  ceased  speaking, 
Emma,  who  was  the  most  inquisitive,  ea- 
gerly inquired  what  animal  flowers  were, 
and  begged  to  know  if  her  mother  would 
not  be  so  kind  as  to  tell  them  about  them. 

w  If  you  can  have  patience,  my  dear,  to 
wait  until  to-morrow  evening,"  said  her 
mother,  "  I  will  try  to  gratify  you.  You 
know  I  always  like  to  collect  my  materials 
beforehand,  so  that  I  may  be  able  to  give 
you  as  much  information  as  I  can  upon 
every  subject." 

They  were  quite  ready  to  wait  their 
mother's  convenience,  and  did  not  impor- 
tune her  with  entreaties  to  gratify  them  at 
that  present  moment,  as  many  young  per- 
sons are  accustomed  to  do. 

The  long  wished  for  hour  at  length  arriv 
ed,  and  the  young  Stanleys  took  their  places 
by  their  mother's  side,  with  minds  eagerly 
intent  on  receiving  all  the  information  she 
had  to  communicate  with  regard  to  the 
new  object  of  inquiry — the  Sea-anemonies. 


ACTINIA,  OR  SEA  ANEMONE 


Stalk. 
Flower. 


Taken  from  Plate  in 


C.  Animal. 

D.  Rock  to  which  it  is  attached. 

Sketches  of  Naval  Life.;' 
9* 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 


■  If  you  had  not  already  told  us  of  so 
many  '  wonders  of  the  deep,'  mamma,"  said 
Anna,  "  I  should  hardly  know  wha*  to 
make  of  such  a  thing  as  an  animal  flower. 
I  suppose  it  must  be  some  kind  of  creature 
that  looks  very  much  like  a  flower." 

"  Yes,  Anna,"  replied  her  mother,  "  these 
animals  do  indeed  resemble  flowers,  so 
much  so,  that  they  were  for  a  long  period 
classed  with  the  members  of  the  vegeta- 
ble kingdom.  I  remember  when  I  was 
a  little  girl  my  curiosity  was  very  much  ex- 
cited by  a  description  of  these  extraordinary 
creatures,  which  was  given  me  by  a  gen- 
tleman who  was  a  friend  of  my  father's, 
and  had  passed  much  of  his  life  in  the  West 
Indies.  He  told  me  that  these  curious  flowers 
grew  on  the  rocks  of  St.  Yincent,  and  that 
they  looked  so  beautiful  with  their  gay 
colored  blossoms,  that  he  had  a  strong  de- 
sire to  pluck  one,  and  examine  it  more 
closely  :  he  stepped  cautiously  out  on  the 
wet  and  slippery  rocks  to  pick  one,  but  to 
his  amazement,  as  his  hand  approached  the 
object  of  his  desire,  the  flower  vanished. 


104  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

Getting  somewhat  irritated  at  being  thus 
repeatedly  baffled  in  his  attempts,  he  struck 
one  quickly  with  his  cane,  but  in  vain.  A^ 
last  he  perceived  a  round  piece  of  coral* 
with  a  hole,  from  which  one  of  these  bright 
visions  appeared;  he  stretched  forth  his 
arm  quickly  and  gained  the  coral  indeed  as 
his  prize,  but  the  genii  of  the  stone  had  dis- 
appeared. He  was  not  aware  of  the  fact 
that  plunging  it  in  sea-water  would  have 
made  the  animal  re-appear,  and  therefore 
he  preserved  the  coral  without  having  his 
desires  gratified.  This  prison-house  of  the 
animal  flower  he  showed  me,  and  my 
childish  curiosity  was  excited  to  a  great 
degree,  and  I  gazed  upon  it  as  I  would  on 
some  mysterious  being,  for  I  was  at  that 
time  entirely  ignorant  of  the  existence  of 
such  an  animal  as  that  which  is  called  the 
Sea  Anemony." 

"  I  remember,  mother,"  observed  Ed- 
ward, "  your  telling  me  of  an  account  of 
the  animal  flower  which  you  had  read  in 
Mr.  Jones's  Naval  Sketches,  and  your 
speaking  to  me  of  the  plate  of  one,  which 


A  VISIT  TO  NAUANT  105 

he  had  copied  from  life.  I  am  really  very 
curious  to  know  how  they  are  able  to  put 
on  these  beautiful  forms,  mamma,  and  hope 
you  will  be  so  kind  as  to  give  us  their  his- 
tory." 

"You  probably  recollect,"  said  Mrs. 
Stanley,  "  that  I  told  you  when  describing 
the  Echinus,  or  sea-urchin,  that  it  had  been 
classed  by  modern  naturalists,  with  some 
other  interesting  marine  creatures,  under 
the  general  name  of  Radiaries.  Now  the 
Actinia,  or  Sea-anemony,  is  among  these 
genera.  It  differs  in  some  respects  from  the 
sea-urchins,  and  the  Gelatines,  or  Medusae  ; 
whereas  these  two  genera  of  creatures  roam 
about  in  search  of  food,  the  latter  of  the  two 
only  attaching  themselves  to  the  rocks  for 
safety,  the  Sea-anemony  adheres  to  them  uni- 
formly, and  only  separates  on  extraordina- 
ry occasions.  I  do  not  know  whether  I  could 
in  any  way  give  you  so  good  an  idea  of  the 
Actinia,  as  by  reading  the  description  of 
one  of  them  furnished  by  the  author  of 
Naval  Sketches,  to  which  Edward  has  re- 
ferred.    He  introduces  us  to  those  which 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

grow  in  the  harbor  of  Port  Mahon,  in  these 
words.  l  Let  me  describe  a  curiosity  I  saw 
in  the  harbor  a  day  or  two  since.  As  1 
sauntered  along  its  shores  my  attention  was 
drawn  to  a  beautiful  flower  at  the  bottom, 
where  the  water  was  near  a  fathom  in 
depth.  It  grew  on  a  stalk  about  three 
eights  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  about 
ten  inches  in  length  ;  was  in  shape  like  an 
inverted  cone,  about  five  inches  in  diame- 
ter, and  was  variegated  with  brilliant 
colors,  red,  yellow,  and  purple.  It  was  a 
beautiful  thing,  and  I  wanted  it ;  so  I  de- 
termined to  knock  it  off,  hoping  some 
chance  might  bring  it  to  the  shore.  I  threw, 
and  saw  that  I  had  struck  it,  but  when  the 
water  cleared  up  the  stalk  was  there,  but  I 
could  not  discover  the  flower.  After  a  vain 
search  I  went  on  further,  and  came  to  ano- 
ther near  the  shore.  I  thought  I  was  sure 
of  this,  and  got  a  stalk  to  draw  it  to  me, 
when,  as  I  touched  it — quash — the  whole 
disappeared.  It  was  all  animal,  flower  and 
all.  I  have  since  procured  several,  and 
have  preserved  them.     The  stalk  is  formed 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  107 

by  concentric  coats  of  gristly  matter,  which 
are  transparent  when  the  outer  one  is  re- 
moved :  it  is  attached  to  the  rocks  below. 
It  forms  a  tube,  in  which  is  an  animal  about 
seven  inches  long,  with  two  rows  of  feet  in 
its  whole  length  ;  at  its  upper  end  is  the 
head,  and  rising  from  the  latter,  the  flower 
I  have  spoken  of.  This  is  formed  by  a 
vast  number  of  very  delicate  fibres,  each 
with  an  exceedingly  me  and  variegated 
fringe,  placed  like  thav  of  a  feather  :  they 
do  not  form  a  single  cup,  but  several,  one 
inside  of  the  other,  and  their  roots  so 
ranged  as  to  produce  a  spiral  channel 
reaching  to  the  animal's  mouth.  They 
have  a  strong  sensitive  power,  and  as  soon 
as  touched  are  dragged  by  the  animal  into 
the  stalk.  After  a  few  minutes  it  ascends 
again,  and  the  flower  spreads  out  as  before : 
doubtless  they  are  intended  for  taking  food. 
A  touch  will  spoil  them,  so  delicately  are 
they  formed.  I  cut  off  the  flower,  and  pass 
a  paper  under  it  in  water  ;  then  by  laying 
it  on  a  board  and  pouring  water  on  it, 
spread  it  out  as  I  wish  it ;  when  dried  it 


108  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

looks  like  a  painting.     They  are  called 
water-pinks  by  the  natives.' " 

"  Oh  !  mamma,"  said  Emma,  "  what  a 
nice  description  that  is  which  you  have 
given  us  ;  I  think  I  can  see  the  flower  be- 
fore me  now." 

"  Look  at  this  plate  with  which  the  au 
thor  accompanies  the  account,  (see  plate  5,} 
and  then  I  think  you  will  probably  form  a' 
correct  idea  of  the  Sea-anemony,"  said  her 
mother,  as  #she  showed  her  children  the 
engraving.  "  I  have  some  farther  notices 
to  give  you  of  these  singular  creatures  on 
the  authority  of  Mr.  Smellie.  He  tells  us 
that  the  animal  assumes  such  a  variety  of 
figures,  that  it  is  difficult  to  describe  it  un- 
der any  particular  form.  In  general,  their 
bodies  have  a  resemblance  to  a  cone  with 
the  point  cut  off.  A  cone,  Emma,  is  longer 
than  it  is  wide,  it  is  circular  at  the  bottom, 
and  continues  to  taper  off  in  a  round  form 
to  the  top,  where  it  ends  in  a  point.  With 
regard  to  color,  some  of  the  Sea-anemonies 
are  red,  some  greenish,  some  whitish,  and 
others  are  brown.    When  the  mouth,  which 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  109 

is  very  large,  is  fully  open,  its  edge  is  sur- 
rounded with  a  great  number  of  fleshy 
threads,  or  horns,  like  those  of  the  snail.. 
These  horns  are  disposed  in  three  rows 
round  the  mouth,  and  give  the  animal  the 
appearance  of  a  flower.  Through  each  of 
these  horns  it  squirts  jets  of  water.  What 
is  peculiar  in  the  formation  of  these  crea- 
tures is,  that  the  whole  interior  of  their 
body  or  cone,  is  one  cavity  or  stomach. 
When  searching  for  food  they  extend  their 
horns,  and  entangle  any  small  animals 
which  may  happen  to  lie  in  their  way. 
When  they  meet  with  their  prey  they  in- 
stantly swallow  it,  and  shut  their  mouths 
close  like  a  purse.  Though  the  animal- 
flower  should  not  exceed  an  inch  and  a 
half  in  diameter,  as  it  is  all  mouth  and  sto- 
mach, it  will  swallow  large  shells,  which 
sometimes  remain  in  the  stomach  for  several 
days.  Their  nutritious  parts  are  at  last, 
however,  extracted  :  but  how  does  the  ani- 
mal get  rid  of  the  shell?  The  creature 
has  no  other  opening  in  its  body  but  the 
mouth,  and  this  is  the  instrument  by  which 
10 


110  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

it  both  receives  nourishment,  and  gets  rid 
of  the  unprofitable  parts  of  its  food.  When 
the  shell  is  not  too  large  the  animal -flower 
has  the  power  of  turning  its  inside  out,  and 
by  this  strange  manoeuvre  the  shell  is 
thrown  out  of  the  body,  and  the  animal  re- 
sumes its  former  state.  I  have,"  said  Mrs. 
Stanley,  "given  you  this  account  almost 
exactly  in  the  language  of  Mr.  Smellie; 
but  I  cannot  forbear  at  this  point  interpo- 
sing a  few  words,  in  order  to  lead  you,  my 
dear  children,  to  observe  the  kind  consid- 
eration of  our  heavenly  Father  towards  the 
least  of  his  creatures.  While  His  infinitely 
exalted  mind  is  directing  the  course  of  His 
providence,  whose  ways  are  often,  as  the 
prophet  beautifully  expresses  it,  '  so  very 
high  that  they  are  dreadful,'  setting  up  one 
mighty  empire,  and  putting  down  another, 
He  yet  does  not  become  unmindful  of  the 
feeblest  insect,  or  the  animals  which  seem 
to  hold  the  lowest  place  in  creation,  and 
who  are  buried  under  the  mighty  ocean.  If 
He  were  not  as  infinite  in  love  as  He  is  in 
wisdom,  would  He  thus  have  considered 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  Ill 

such  apparently  trifling  circumstances  as 
the  one  I  have  just  mentioned  with  regard 
to  the  Sea-anemony.  The  animal  He  re- 
membered was  unprovided  with  many 
things  which  other  creatures  possess  ;  He 
saw  what  was  to  be  its  food,  and  that  it 
might  often  be  subjected  to  pain  and  incon- 
venience, by  having  its  stomach  filled  with 
the  hard  parts  of  the  shell-fish  on  which  it 
was  to  subsist,  and  therefore  in  tender  con- 
sideration for  its  comfort,  He  kindly  gave  it 
a  power  not  furnished  to  higher  animals, 
that  of  turning  its  own  body  inside  out,  and 
in  this  manner  enabled  it  to  get  rid  of  the 
troublesome  matter.  This  is  still  more 
strikingly  displayed  by  another  part  of  its 
formation.  I  have  told  you  that  it  could 
thus  empty  its  stomach,  but  I  ought  to  have 
said  in  addition,  that  it  can  only  do  so  when 
the  shell  is  presented  in  one  position,  which 
is  the  common  one ;  but  Mr.  Smellie  ob- 
serves, 'what  is  extremely  singular,  near 
the  lower  part  of  the  body  it  splits,  as  if  a 
large  wound  had  been  made  with  a  knife, 
and  through  this  gash  the  shell  is  thrust 


112  A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT 

out,  if  it  has  so  happened  that  it  has  been 
presented  in  a  wrong  position.'  I  men- 
tioned to  you  that  the  Sea-anemony  pos- 
sessed the  power  of  moving  itself  from  the 
rocks  to  which  it  is  generally  fixed,  though 
it  seldom  has  occasion  to  exert  it,  and  it 
does  so  in  the  following  manner.  'The 
outside  of  its  body  is  furnished  with  nu- 
merous muscles,  these  muscles  are  tubular, 
and  are  filled  with  a  fluid  which  makes 
them  project  in  the  form  of  prickles.  By 
means  of  these  muscles  the  animal  is  ena- 
bled to  perform  its  very  slow  movements. 
It  can  also,  when  it  pleases,  loosen  its  base 
from  the  rock,  place  what  was  its  head 
downwards,  and  employ  the  horns  round 
its  mouth  as  so  many  limbs.  Still,  how- 
ever, it  moves  very  slowly.' " 

When  Mrs.  Stanley  had  concluded  her 
narration  of  the  appearance  and  habits  of 
the  Actinia  or  Sea-anemony,  she  received 
the  warm  thanks  of  the  group  by  whom 
she  was  surrounded,  and  Anna  begged  to 
know  if  there  were  any  other  marine  ani- 
mals which  put  on  such  beautiful  forms  as 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  113 

those  did,  which  her  mother  had  just  de- 
scribed. 

Her  mother  told  her  that  there  were 
many  others  equally  handsome,  which 
were  already  known  to  naturalists,  though 
the  anemonies  were  the  most  numerous, 
and  bore  as  a  class  the  most  striking  re- 
semblance to  the  vegetable  world.  And 
she  also  informed  her  children  that  there 
was  great  reason  to  suppose,  there  were 
many  lovely  marine  productions  that  were 
still  unknown  to  man,  and  which  "  the  dark 
unfathomed  caves  of  ocean  bear."  "  There 
is  one  of  these  marine  beauties  described  by 
Mr.  Kirby,  which  I  cannot  forbear  to  tell 
you  of,"  said  Mrs.  Stanley.  "  He  informs 
us  that  an  engraving  of  it  has  been  given 
in  the  transactions  of  the  Linnean  Society 
of  London,  under  the  name  of  Tubularia 
Magniflca.  The  horns  or  rays  of  this  ani- 
mal he  describes,  f  as  fixed  on  a  common 
base,  and  forming  one  glorious  and  radi- 
ant crown,  with  rings  of  the  most  beautiful 
red  and  white ;  of  these  there  is  a  double 
circle,  the  inner  ones  being  shorter  than. 

10* 


114  A  VISIT  TO  N  AH  ANT 

the  outer  ones  ;  when  they  are  all  expand- 
ed, it  is  nearly  six  inches  in  diameter  from 
one  side  of  the  rlower  to  the  other.  When- 
ever the  animal  is  alarmed  it  withdraws 
this  splendid  figure,  and  the  tube, itself  into 
its  burrow  in  the  living  rock,  as  a  safe  re- 
fuge from  its  enemies.'  He  tells  us  also 
that  any  one  who  has  had  an  opportunity 
of  comparing  this  expanded  animal-blos- 
som with  some  species  of  the  passion-flower, 
would  be  struck  with  the  resemblance.  He 
thinks  the  principal  object  of  the  uncom- 
mon length  and  number  of  their  horns  or 
rays,  may  be  for  capturing,  as  in  a  net,  the 
numerous  animals  necessary  for  their  sup- 
port, who  may  perhaps  also  be  attracted  by 
their  great  beauty." 

Mrs.  Stanley  here  drew  out  her  watch, 
and  finding  she  had  a  half  hour  to  spare, 
she  told  her  children  that  she  would,  if 
agreeable  to  her  brother,  tell  them  about 
some  other  brilliant  beauties  of  the  sea,  that 
she  had  alluded  to  formerly.  "By  all 
means,"  said  Mr.  Benson,  "  I  believe  I  am 
taking  almost  as  much  pleasure  as  your 


A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT.  115 

children,  in  listening  to  your  conversation  ; 
I  find  not  only  enjoyment,  but  profit  also, 
for  it  quickens,  my  gratitude  to  our  gracious 
Lord,  to  have  these  proofs  of  His  love  pre- 
sented to  my  mind." 

The  lady  then  continued,  "  When  we 
were  speaking  of  the  luminous  appearance 
of  the  sea,  I  told  you,  I  believe,  that  it  was 
supposed  to  be  principally  occasioned  by 
the  presence  of  the  families  of  the  Gela- 
tines or  Medusge.  There  are,  however, 
some  other  very  striking  instances  of  ma- 
rine animals  which  possess  the  power  of 
giving  light,  which  appear  more  closely  al- 
lied to  the  animal-flowers  in  their  forma- 
tion than  to  the  Medusse.  They  belong  to 
a  class  of  animals  to  which  some  learned 
men  have  given  the  name  of  Tunicaries. 
They  are  thus  characterized  as  a  class. 
1  The  animal  either  leathery  or  gelatinous, 
is  covered  by  a  double  tunic  or  envelope. 
The  outer  one  somewhat  similar  to  the 
shell  of  other  marine  creatures,  is  provided 
with  two  apertures ;  the  inner  one  some- 
what like  the  fleshy  animal  which  inhabits 


116  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

these  shells.  Body  oblong — divided  into 
many  little  cavities,  without  a  head.  These 
marine  creatures  are  sometimes  solitary,  in 
other  species  many  are  attached  together.' 
Kirby  thus  speaks  of  the  latter,  '  The  Cre- 
ator when  He  filled  the  waters  of  the  great 
deep  with  that  infinite  variety  of  animals, 
of  which  every  day  brings  genera  and  spe- 
cies before  unknown  to  light,  willed  that 
many  of  them  should,  as  it  were,  form  a 
common  body,  consisting  of  many  individ- 
uals separate  and  distinct,  as  inhabiting 
different  cells,  but  still  possessing  a  body 
in  common,  and  many  of  them  receiving 
benefit  from  the  enlarging  and  contracting 
of  a  common  organ  :  thus  presenting  a  type 
of  those  animal  communities  where  nume- 
rous wills  unite  to  effect  a  common  object. 
The  land  as  far  as  I  can  recollect,  exhibits 
no  instance  of  an  aggregate  animal ;  nor 
the  ocean  of  one,  which  like  the  beaver, 
ant,  wasp,  white  ant,  and  bee,  forms  bands 
to  build  and  inhabit  a  common  house,  and 
rear  a  common  family.  Instead  of  sending 
the  social  marine  animals  forth  in  myriads 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  117 

to  collect  food  and  materials  for  their  sever- 
al buildings,  God  took  the  vegetable  world 
as  the  model  for  their  general  structure,  in 
many  cases  fixed  them  to  the  rock  or  stone, 
united  them  all  into  one  body,  which  under 
a  common  cover,  contained  often  innumera- 
ble cells,  from  which  were  sent  forth  by  the 
occupant  of  each  a  set  of  organs  to  collect 
food,  from  which  by  some  curious  process 
they  could  prepare  materials  to  enlarge 
their  common  house,  and  often  cause  that 
influx  and  reflux,  to  compare  small  things 
with  great,  resembling  the  tides  of  the 
ocean,  and  by  which  the  sea-water  is  at  one 
moment  drawn  in,  and  then  thrust  out  by 
these  animals :  this  office  in  some  of  the 
Tunicaries  seems  to  be  effected  by  a  cen- 
tral organ  or  pump,  which  is  common  to 
the  whole  community.'  Some  of  these  ani- 
mals are  phosphoric,  and  so  transparent 
that  all  their  internal  organs  and  move- 
ments can  be  plainly  seen.  Sometimes 
rows  of  from  forty  to  fifty  of  one  species 
called  the  Salpes,  are  to  be  seen  fastened 
together.      These    are  perfectly  regular; 


H8  A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT. 

that  is  to  say,  all  the  individuals  are  of  the 
same  height,  and  the  heads  of  one  row  are 
turned  to  the  same  side,  and  those  of  ano- 
ther to  the  opposite.  Sometimes  they  are 
carried  by  the  waves  in  a  spiral  line,  and 
again  in  a  straight  one.  In  the  sea,  during 
the  day,  they  look  like  white  ribands,  and 
during  the  night,  like  ribands  of  fire,  which 
are  now  rolled  up,  and  then  spread  out 
again.  We  can  only  form  a  conjecture  of 
the  object  of  Divine  Providence,  in  endow- 
ing these  animals  with  an  instinct  so  sin 
gular.  Perhaps  it  may  be  to  preserve  them 
from  being  destroyed  by  the  force  of  the 
waves,  as  they  are  so  very  frail,  or  perhaps 
the  stronger  light  which  they  thus  produce 
may  be  for  defence.  Though  several  of 
these  animals  belonging  to  the  class  of  Tu- 
nicaries, are  interesting  on  account  of  their 
singularity  and  beauty,  I  shall  only  select 
two,  says  Mr.  Kirby,  (for  I  am  quoting  his 
words  almost  exactly,  only  altering  them 
when  I  made  my  extract  to  use  more  simple 
ones.)  Oneofthese  is  peculiarly  striking,  and 
I  have  copied  Mr.  Kirby's  plate  of  it,  in  order 


A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT  119 

to  render  this  description  more  plain."  She 
then  showed  the  little  party  this  painting. 
Her  children  exclaimed  at  the  sight,  "  Sure- 
ly, mother,  this  cannot  be  meant  for  an 
animal  ;  we  should  have  taken  it  for  al- 
most any  thing  else  rather  than  for  a  living 
creature." 

"  I  do  not  wonder,"  said  Mrs.  Stanley, 
"  that  you  who  are  so  inexperienced  in  such 
matters,  should  be  a  little  incredulous  as  to 
the  fact  of  this  plate  being  intended  to  re- 
present living  creatures.  The  celebrated 
Lamarch,  who  has  devoted  so  many  years 
and  so  much  talent  to  the  study  of  natural 
history,  when  speaking  of  this  animal,  and 
the  painting  of  it,  from  which  Mr.  Kirby's 
was  originally  taken,  remarks,  '  Who  would 
think  that  the  Pyrosome'  (which  is  the 
name  he  gives  it)  l  was  an  assemblage  of 
little  aggregate  animals  :  any  one  that  look- 
ed at  it,  or  at  the  plate  of  it,  might  mistake 
it  for  a  simple  polype,  with  a  number  of 
leaf-like  appendages  growing  from  its  skin  ; 
but  a  closer  examination  of  it  would  give 
him  a  very  different  idea,  and   he  would 


120  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

discover,  with  wonder,  that  it  was  a  mass 
filled  with  animals  united  by  their  base. 
The  common  body  that  contains  these 
creatures,  resembles  a  hollow  cylinder,* 
closed  at  the  upper  extremity  and  open  at 
the  lower.  This  body,  or  mass,  is  gelati- 
noust  and  transparent ;  a  number  of  little 
tubercles,  or  pimple-like  lumps,  of  a  firmer 
substance  than  the  tube,  but  at  the  same 
time  transparent,  polished,  and  shining, 
cover  the  surface  ;  some  of  them  are  termi- 
nated by  a  lance-shaped  leaflet.'  " 

"  How  large  are  these  wonderful  crea- 
tures; mother  ?"  inquired  Edward. 

"  They  are  said  to  vary  in  size  according 
to  the  different  situations  in  which  they  are 
found,"  she  replied.  "  Those  which  inha- 
bit the  Atlantic  are  about  five  inches  long, 
while  the  Mediterranean  species,  one  of 
which  this  plate  is  intended  to  represent, 
sometimes  attain  the  length  of  fourteen 
inches.  Mr.  Kirby  tells  us  <  that  their 
power  of  emitting  light  is  so  great,  that  in 

*  See  plate  6. 

t  Of  the  nature  of  jelly. 


PYROSOMA  GIGANTEUM. 


11 


A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT  123 

the  night  they  cause  the  sea  to  appear  on 
fire.'  Nothing  can  exceed  the  dazzling 
light  and  brilliant  colors  that  these  floating 
bodies  exhibit — colors  varying  in  a  way 
that  is  truly  admirable,  passing  rapidly 
every  instant  from  a  dazzling  red  to  saffron, 
to  orange,  to  green,  to  azure,  and  thus  re- 
flecting every  ray  which  is  exhibited  by  the 
heavenly  bow." 

"  Oh,  mamma,"  exclaimed  Anna,  "  how 
beautiful,  how  splendid  these  creatures 
must  be  !  Please  now  to  tell  us  how  they 
contrive  to  move  along  in  the  ocean.  Do 
they  use  these  little  things  that  look  like 
leaves  for  feet  ?" 

"  No,  my  dear,  they  do  not,  I  believe  ; 
they  lie  in  the  water  lengthwise,  like  a 
piece  of  wood,  and  are  carried  along  in  the 
same  manner  by  the  current,  Each  one 
of  these  little  inhabitants  of  the  common 
dwelling  can  contract  and  then  expand  it- 
self, and  combine  together  to  use  their  com- 
mon pumps  to  draw  in  water  into  the  tube, 
or  else  drive  it  out.  They  are  said  to  pos- 
sess a  singular   mode  of  defence.     When 


124  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

the  fishermen  take  them  up  in  their  hands, 
probably  somewhat  roughly,  they  will  fre- 
quently draw  in  the  tube  and  thus  thrust 
out  the  water  so  forcibly  through  the  nume- 
rous small  openings  into  the  faces  of  their 
capturers  as  to  blind  them,  and  they,  in 
their  astonishment,  drop  the  creatures  from 
their  hands." 

The  young  Stanleys  were  highly  amus- 
ed at  this  stratagem.  "  We  must  not  al- 
ways judge,  mother,"  said  Edward,  "of 
persons'  sense  by  their  looks.  I  am  sure  I 
should  never  have  fancied,  from  the  ap- 
pearance of  these  good  little  people,  that 
they  could  have  so  much  cunning." 

Mrs.  Stanley  now  laid  aside  her  papers, 
saying,  "  that  she  feared  she  had  already 
detained  them  too  long,  but  she  hoped  that 
the  consideration  of  the  works  of  God 
would  dispose  them  to  listen  most  attentive- 
ly to  his  word." 


A  VISIT   TO  NAHANT.  122 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


"  Now  the  deep  lets  loose 
Its  blithe  adventurers,  to  sport  at  large, 
As  kindly  instinct  taught  them.     So  He  ordained, 
Whose  way  is  in  the  sea,  His  path  amidst  great  waten 

"Mamma,"  said  Anna  Stanley,  "come 
with  me,  if  you  please,  to  that  spot  on  the 
beach  where  Edward  and  Emma  are  stand- 
ing, for  we  have  found  something  to  show 
you  that  we  have  never  seen  before,  and 
that  is  very  curious." 

"  Pray  tell  me,  my  dear,"  said  her  mo- 
ther, "what  it  is  you  mean,  for  I  am  so 
comfortably  fixed  on  this  rock,  that  I  do 
not  particularly  wish  to  move." 

"Oh!  mother!  it  is  a  sight  well  worth 
seeing,  for  there  are  a  parcel  of  shells  walk- 
ing down  to  the  water  as  nicely  as  we 
could,  and  yet  they  have  no  feet." 

Her  mother  smiled,  and  permitted  Anna 

to  lead  her  away,  saying  as  she  did  so,  "  I 

understand   what  you   mean  now,  Anna ; 

and  I  must  tell  you  that  conchologists  have 

given   the  name  of  foot  to  that  organ   of 
11* 


126  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 


these  inhabitants  of  the  shell,  by  which 
they  are  enabled  to  move  from  place  to 
place." 

They  soon  approached  the  spot  which 
Anna  had  pointed  out,  and  beheld  a  number 
of  shells,  with  the  spiral  part  upwards,  mov- 
ing down  to  the  water.  Mrs.  Stanley  bade 
her  children  observe  the  motions  of  these 
animals.  At  each  step  they  thrust  out  at 
the  opening  of  the  shells  (which  were  of 
the  stelia  or  snail  family)  a  fleshy  lip,  as  it 
were,  and  then  drew  it  in  again.  When 
their  mother  took  up  one  of  them,  the  ani- 
mal drew  in  its' fleshy  fringe,  and  the  whole 
of  the  opening  was  entirely  closed  in  an 
instant  by  a  horny  and  partly  transparent 
door.  This  fleshy  organ,  she  told  them, 
had  been  named  a  foot,  because  it  perform- 
ed, in  some  degree,  the  same  offices  to  the 
shell,  that  the  human  foot  does  to  the  body 
to  which  it  belongs.  "  Do  you  not  recol- 
lect," she  continued,  "during  one  of  our 
visits  to  old  Robert,  my  showing  you  one 
of  the  Razor  shells  m  his  collection,  and 
telling  you  in  what  manner  it  was  said  to 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  127 

sink  its  shell  in  the  wet  sand,  or  raise  it 
again  when  necessary  ?"* 

"  Oh  yes,  mamma,"  replied  Emma,  "  I 
remember  very  well  that  you  told  us  it 
formed  its  foot  into  the  shape  of  a  little 
trowel,  and  pushed  it  out  at  the  bottom  of 
the  shell,  where  the  two  pieces  of  it  gaped 
and  lowered  itself  in  that  way.  But  I  did 
not  know  then  what  sort  of  thing  the  foot 
of  a  shell  was.  Now  that  you  have  show- 
ed us  one,  I  can  understand  it  better." 

"  Is  this  horny  thing  which  the  animal 
draws  in  so  closely,  mamma,"  inquired 
Anna,  "  part  of  its  foot  ?  See,  mother, 
how  tight  the  little  thing  has  fastened  it- 
self in ;  it  will  not  let  us  see  the  least  part 
of  its  flesh  now." 

"  This  horny  substance,  Anna,"  replied 
her  mother,  "  is  called  the  operculum,  or 
mouth-piece  of  the  shell,  and  varies  in  ge- 
neral appearance  and  in  thickness  very 
much  in  different  shells.  Many  are  trans- 
parent, horny,  and  very  thin,  like  the  one 

*  For  this  account,  see  "  Wonders  of  the  Deep." 


228  A.  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

we  have  been  just  examining ;  while  others 
are  more  than  half  an  inch  thick,  and  re- 
semble the  texture  of  the  other  parts  of  the 
shell.  Were  this  mouth-piece  separated 
from  the  animal,  you  would  perceive  that  a 
spiral  line,  similar  to  that  on  the  shell,  is 
marked  both  on  the  upper  and  lower  sur- 
face. Some  conchologists  imagine  that 
this  mouth-piece  is  formed  on  the  neck  of 
the  animal,  which  thus  performs  the  part 
of  a  mould,  and  increases  in  size  with  the 
increasing  size  of  the  animal." 

When  the  party  reached  home,  they 
were  eagerly  intent  upon  showing  their 
kind  uncle  the  shell  which  they  had 
brought  from  the  beach,  with  its  closed 
door.  It  was  not  however  a  new  sight  to 
him,  for  he  had  frequently  seen  such  be- 
fore, and  he  now  brought  the  young  people 
into  his  study,  and  showed  them  a  number  of 
shells  of  the  same  kind,  varying  in  size  from 
the  diameter  of  half  an  inch  to  that  of  two 
or  three  inches  ;  each  had  its  own  opercu- 
lum, or  mouth-piece,  which  fitted  the  open- 
ing exactly.    Anna  told  her  uncle  how  they 


VIOLET  SNAIL. 


Fig.  1. 

A.  The  Animal. 

B.  The  shell. 

C.  The  air  bubbles  used  to  propel  it. 


CHITON,  OR  COAT-OF-MAIL  SHELL. 


Fig.  2. 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  131 

had  seen  the  little  creatures  moving,  and 
what  her  mamma  had  said  of  the  wonders 
they  were  able  to  perform  with  their  feet. 

"I  can  tell  you  of  something  still  more 
curious.  What  will  you  say  when  I  tell 
you  that  the  animals  which  inhabit  shells 
not  only  know  how  to  walk  with  their  feet, 
but  that  some  species  are  also  so  industrious 
as  to  sit  within  their  shell  houses  and  spin 
with  their  feet  a  kind  of  silk,  which  is  after 
wards  manufactured  into  gloves  and  stock- 
ings V 

"  Oh,  uncle  !"  said  Emma,  with  a  smile  ; 
"we  have  heard  of  their  making  silk, 
though  we  did  not  know  that  they  used 
their  feet  for  that  purpose." 

"  Well,  I  am  sadly  afraid  that  your  mo- 
ther has  left  me  nothing  to  tell  that  will 
have  the  charm  of  novelty,"  said  Mr.  Ben- 
son. "  Let  me  see,  what  can  I  find  that  is 
curious  in  my  cabinet  V  After  looking  for 
a  while,  he  took  up  a  very  pretty  purple 
shell,  and  asked  them  if  they  had  ever 
heard  of  the  violet  snail  ?*     When  an  an- 

*  For  the  original  account,  see   Kirby's   Bridgewater 
Treatise. 


l32  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

swer  was  given  in  the  negative  by  all  the 
young  Stanleys,  their  uncle  told  them  that 
he  should  then  be  able  to  find  something  to 
relate  that  would,  he  was  certain,  engage 
'their  attention.     "  This  shell  of  mine,"  said 
Mr.  Benson,   "was  brought   from  South 
America.     When  the  sea,  in  certain  places 
of  that  region,  is  quite  calm,  fleets  of  the 
violet  snails,  as  I  have  read,  may  be  seen 
floating  over   the   surface,   by   means  of  a 
most  singular  contrivance,  with  which  God 
has  furnished  them.     Their  foot  is  flat,  and 
is  provided  with   a  transparent   and  most 
delicate  set  of  little  bags  of  different  sizes ; 
these  little  bags  the  animal  can  at  pleasure 
fill  with  air  by  means  of  its  foot.     Look  at 
this  painting  of  the  violet  snail,  with  the 
animal  which  inhabits  it,  and  its  set  of  little 
bags  as  they  appear   when  filled  with  air, 
(plate  7,  fig.  1.)    You  will  observe,  if  you 
examine  the  shell  which  I  have  just  shown 
you,  that  it  is  remarkably  thin   and  light, 
quite  as  much  so  as  those   of  the   Paper 
Nautilus.     Doubtless  they  were  both  made 
so  by  their  merciful  Creator,  in  order  that 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT  133 

their  weight  might  not  interfere  with  the 
movements  of  the  animal  when  sailing.  I 
must  not  forget  to  tell  you  how  kindly  the 
violet  snail  has  been  taught  to  avoid  the 
dangers  of  a  rough  and  stormy  ocean.  It 
has  been  furnished  with  the  power  on  such 
occasions  of  drawing  in  the  air  from  these 
little  bladders,  which  then  shrink  into  an 
excessively  small  ccmpass,  the  skin  being 
scarcely  thicker  than  the  covering  of  a  soap 
bubble.  After  having  forced  out  the  air,  it 
sinks  itself  into  the  ocean,  and  is  thus  safe 
from  the  threatening  storm." 

"  Thank  you,  dear  uncle,"  was  echoed 
from  the  lips  of  Edward  by  his  sisters, 
when  Mr.  Benson  had  ended  his  account 
of  the  violet  snail. 

He  afterwards  resumed  the  conversation 
in  the  following  manner.  "Both  of  the 
shells  whose  motions  we  have  been  con- 
sidering belong  to  what  conchologists  term 
the  univalves,  or  shells  consisting  of  only 
one  piece  ;  would  you  like  me  to  tell  you 
of  the  movements  of  some  of  the  bivalves, 


12 


134  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT 

or  those  which  have  two  parts,  like  the 
clam  or  oyster  ?" 

Being  urged  to  do  so,  Mr.  Benson  took 
out  of  his  cabinet  a  common  muscle  shell, 
both  sides  of  which  were  perfect,  and  the 
hinge  which  united  them  was  there  also. 
"  This  shell,"  he  observed,  "  has  no  beauty 
to  boast  *of,  and  yet  from  the  contrivance 
exhibited  in  the  formation  of  the  animal 
which  inhabits  it,  it  is  worthy  of  your  at- 
tention. Mr.  Smellie  informs  us,  <  that  it  is 
provided  with  a  fleshy  organ  of  a  red  color, 
which  projects  from  the  lower  part  of  the 
shell,  which  is  its  foot.  When  inclined  to 
remove  from  its  present  situation,  the  river 
muscle  opens  its  shell,  thrusts  out  its  foot, 
and  while  lying  on  its  side  in  a  horizontal 
position,  digs  a  small  furrow  in  the  sand. 
Into  this  furrow,  by  the  operation  of  the 
same  foot,  the  animal  makes  the  shell  fall, 
and  thus  brings  it  into  an  upright  position. 
We  have  now  got  our  muscle  on  end ;  but 
how  is  he  to  proceed  ?  He  stretches  for- 
ward his  foot,  by  which  he  throws  back  the 
sand,  lengthens  the  furrow,  and  this  prop 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  135 

enables  him  to  proceed  on  his  journey.' 
This  account,"  said  Mr.  Benson,  "  I  thought 
so  well  worth  preserving  that  I  copied  it,  as 
you  observe,  and  keep  the  paper  folded  up 
under  my  muscle  shell  for  the  benefit  of  the 
visiters  to  my  cabinet." 

"  Here  is  another  shell,  uncle,"  said  Ed- 
ward, "  with  a  little  piece  of  paper  under  it, 
that  has  some  writing  on  ;  may  I  read  it  to 
my  sisters  ?"  His  uncle  gave  him  permis- 
sion, and  he  proceeded  to  give  the  follow- 
ing extract  from  Mr.  Smellie's  work. 

"  The  scallop  has  the  power  of  progres- 
sive motion  on  land,  as  well  as  that  of 
swimming  on  the  surface  of  the  water. 
When  the  animal  happens  to  be  deserted  by 
the  tide  it  opens  its  shell  to  its  full  extent, 
then  shuts  it  with  a  sudden  jerk,  by  which 
means  it  often  rises  five  or  six  inches  from 
the  ground.  In  this  manner  it  tumbles  for- 
ward till  it  regains  the  water.  When  the 
sea  is  calm,  troops  or  little  fleets  of  scallops 
are  often  observed  swimming  on  the  sur- 
face. They  raise  one  valve  of  their  shell 
above  the  water,  which  becomes  a  kind  of 


36  A  VISIT  TO  NAHA.NT 

sail,  while  the  other  remains  under  the  wa- 
ter, and  answers  the  purpose  of  an  anchor, 
by  steadying  the  animal  and  preventing  its 
being  overset.  When  an  enemy  approach- 
es they  instantly  shut  their  shells,  plunge 
to  the  bottom,  and  the  whole  fleet  disap- 
pears. By  what  means  they  are  enabled  to 
regain  the  surface  we  are  ignorant." 

"  I  must  tell  you,"  said  Mr.  Benson,  "  that 
it  was  a  shell  of  this  latter  kind  which  was 
worn  in  former  times  by  Catholic  pilgrims 
in  their  caps  ;  so  essential  indeed  was  this 
ornament  considered  to  their  dress,  that  one 
of  the  most  popular  of  our  modern  poets, 
when  he  wishes  to  describe  the  appearance 
of  a  pilgrim  palmer,  says,  'He  wore  St. 
James's  cockle  shell.'" 

"  Here,  Edward,  close  by  the  scallop,  you 
will  find  an  English  pecten ;  which  two 
families  of  shells  are  closely  allied.  The 
latter  was  celebrated  even  among  the  old 
Roman  writers  for  its  movements.  One  of 
them  says  that  the  pecten  can  leap  and  flut- 
ter out  of  the  water,  and  dive.  Its  mode  of 
walking,  or  moving,  is  so  similar  to  that  of 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  13/ 

the  scallop,  that  it  is  needless  for  me  to  de- 
scribe it  particularly.  Several  other  of  the 
bivalved  shells  use  their  feet  in  moving 
themselves  from  place  to  place.  But  I  have 
already  told  you  of  so  many,  that  I  am 
afraid  you  will  be  wearied  with  the  sub- 
ject. I  will  therefore  give  you  permission 
to  select  for  yourselves  any  specimen  in  my 
cabinet  that  strikes  you  as  curious,  and  you 
may  bring  it  to  me  for  an  explanation." 

This  was  considered  a  great  privilege, 
and  the  young  people  were  soon  intent  on 
their  search.  Edward,  after  examining  the 
different  articles  for:a  long  time  in  silence, 
took  up  one,  which  riveted  his  attention 
from  its  being  a  novelty  to  him.  It  was 
about  three  inches  in  length,  of  a  reddish 
brown  color,  and  consisted  of  many  small 
pieces  fastened  together  by  a  gristly  sub- 
stance ;  the  shape  was  oval,  not  unlike  a 
baker's  loaf,  and,  like  that,  rounded  above  ; 
it  was,  however,  entirely  hollow.  Edward 
carried  it  to  his  uncle,  and  begged  to  know 
its  name, though  he  said  he  scarcely  thought 
it  could  be  a  shell,  as  it  was  unlike  any 

12* 


138  A  VISIT  TO  N  AH  ANT 

thing  of  the  kind  he  had  ever  before  seen. 
(Plate  7,  fig.  2.) 

"  Nevertheless,  Edward,"  said  his  uncle, 
"  this  creature  is  ranked  as  a  shell  by  con- 
chologists,  who  give  the  genera  to  which  it 
belongs  the  name  of  Chiton,  or  coat-of-mail 
shells,  from  the  striking  resemblance  which 
they  bear  to  the  coats  of  armor  in  which 
the  soldiers  of  olden  times  were  accustomed 
to  clothe  themselves  when  going  to  battle. 
Chitons  are  generally  found  under  stones, 
but  often  fasten  themselves  to  rocks,  or  in- 
sert themselves  into  their  cracks.  Mr. 
Trembley,  a  gentleman  who  had  great  op- 
portunities for  studying  the  habits  of  those 
Chitons  which  inhabit  the  coast  of  Chili, 
says,  '  that  when  not  apprehensive  of  dan- 
ger they  attach  themselves  very  slightly  to 
the  rocks,  and  that  by  pushing  them  gently, 
they  easily  slide  from  the  surface  to  which 
they  are  attached ;  but  if  a  direct  attempt  is 
made  to  unfix  them  by  force,  they  will  part 
with  a  portion  of  their  shells  sooner  than 
let  go  their  hold.'  They  also  secure  them- 
selves strongly  to  the  bottoms  of  vessels, 


A.  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  139 

and  in  this  situation,  as  well  as  in  others, 
they  are  much  exposed  to  the  violence  of 
the  waves,  and  the  attacks  of  formidable 
marine  enemies :  on  these  accounts  most 
probably  it  was,  that  He  who  made  all 
things,  and  remembers  the  peculiar  neces- 
sities of  each,  furnished  the  Chitons  with 
their  coats-of-mail,  by  which  they  are  pro- 
tected in  safety  from  all  dangers." 

When  Mr.  Benson  had  finished  his  ac- 
count of  the  Chitons,  his  young  relatives 
returned  to  the  cabinet  and  laid  the  shell 
carefully  in  its  proper  place.  Before  many 
minutes  had  elapsed,  Anna  was  arrested 
by  a  large  genus,  some  of  which  she  said 
she  had  often  seen  before,  though  she  was 
ignorant  of  their  names.  There  were  many 
species,  differing  in  color  and  marking,  and 
also  in  their  degrees  of  roughness,  some 
being  covered  with  ridges  and  little  pro- 
jections, while  others  were  nearly  smooth. 
In  shape,  however,  there  was  a  general  re- 
semblance among  the  species,  and  in  this 
respect  they  varied  from  the  rest  of  the  col- 
lection.    They  were    generally   oval,    but 


140  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

all  were  uniformly  formed  of  single  pieces, 
and  looked,  Anna  thought,  a  good  deal  like 
saucers  turned  upside  down ;  the  upper 
and  round  surfaces  of  these  shells  answer-; 
ing  to  the  bottom  of  a  saucer,  were  the 
parts  which  were  colored  and  marked  ;  the 
hollow  parts  were  white,  like  the  inside  of 
other  shells  ;  and  in  the  centre  many  of 
them  had  small  holes,  which  looked  as  if 
they  had  been  pierced.  "  Pray,  dear  un- 
cle," said  Anna,  "  be  so  kind  as  to  tell  me 
the  name  of  this  family  of  shells,  and  how 
the  animals  contrive  to  live  in  them." 

"  They  all  belong,"  he  replied,  "  to  the 
genus  Patella,  and  are  known  commonly 
by  the  name  of  Limpets.*  This  family  of 
creatures,  like  that  of  the  Chitons,  attach 
themselves  to  the  rocks  ;  their  rounded  and 
ornamented  surfaces  are  placed  upwards, 
and  when  one  looks  at  a  rock  thickly  peo- 
pled with  them,  he  is  reminded  of  a  tented 
camp  in  miniature.  The  animals  which 
inhabit  these  shells  are   secured  by  then 

*  Plate  8,  fig.  1. 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  141 

substantial  tents  from  the  violence  of  the 
waves  above,  and  they  are  fastened  firmly 
to  the  rocks  beneath  by  means  of  numerous 
little  threads,  which  answer  the  purpose  of 
cables.  Emma  looks  so  knowing,  that  I 
think  she  must  have  some  information  to 
communicate.  Pray  tell  me  what  it  is,  my 
little  niece." 

"  Your  account  of  the  Limpets,  dear  un- 
cle," she  modestly  replied,  "makes  me 
think  of  what  the  African  servant  says  of 
them,  in  Mr.  Richmond's  pretty  tract.  Now 
that  you  have  been  so  kind  as  to  show  us 
these  Limpet  shells,  and  tell  us  how  they 
are  fixed  on  the  rocks,  I  can  understand 
what  poor  William  said  better  than  I  did 
before." 

"  I  should  like  to  hear  what  it  was,"  said 
Mr.  Benson,  "  for  it  is  a  long  while  since  I 
read  the  tract  of  the  African  servant." 

"  If  you  will  be  so  kind  as  to  let  me  get 
the  volume  in  which  it  is,  I  will  read  it  to 
you,  uncle,"  answered  Emma. 

"  I  would  much  prefer  hearing  it  in  your 
own  language,  Emma." 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 


The  little  girl  hesitated  for  some  minutes, 
and  then  said,  "  Uncle,  you  remember  one 
day  Mr.  Richmond  went  to  see  William,  to 
talk  with  him,  before  he  ventured  to  bap- 
tize him.  Before  he  got  to  his  master's 
house  he  saw  William  seated  on  the  rocks 
by  the  sea-shore,  reading  his  Bible.  Mr. 
Richmond  left  his  horse  and  sat  down  by 
him,  and  then  this  conversation  about  the 
Limpets  took  place.  Poor  William  told 
Mr.  Richmond  what  a  sinful  heart  he  had, 
and  said  nobody  had  such  a  naughty  one. 
He  said,  £  Look  at  those  Limpets,  master, 
and  see  how  fast  they  keep  hold  of  the 
rocks ;  just  so  sin  sticks  fast  to  my  heart.' 
Mr.  Richmond  bade  him  go,  with  all  his 
sins,  and  take  hold  of  the  cross  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  by  faith  in  him ;  and  then,  he 
said,  as  the  waves  could  not  force  the  Lim- 
pets away  from  the  stones  on  which  they 
had  fastened  themselves,  so  neither  should 
any  thing  separate  him  from  the  love  of 
Jesus." 

"  Thank  you,  my  dear  Emma,"  said  Mr. 
Benson  ;  "  I  am  pleased  to  find  you  remem- 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  i43 

ber  the  anecdote  so  well,  for  these  simple 
illustrations  of  the  truths  of  the  gospel  are 
very  useful  to  us  all,  and  I  am  grateful  to 
the  excellent  Mr.  Richmond  for  giving  such 
a  truly  Christian  lesson  from  the  history 
of  the  humble  Limpet.  You  have  already 
been  told  of  several  kinds  of  shells,  which 
have  been  taught  by  their  divine  Maker 
to  secure  themselves  in  an  extraordinary 
manner,  and  I  will  show  you  another  of 
somewhat  similar  habits."  He  then  took 
up  a  large  and  beautiful  shell,  and  asked 
Edward  if  he  knew  its  name.  "Yes,  sir," 
replied  Edward,  "  my  mother  has  several 
of  the  same  kind,  though  much  smaller, 
which  she  calls  ear-shells.  She  told  me 
this  name  had  been  given  to  them  because 
they  were  thought  to  resemble  a  human 
ear." 

'  "  As  you  have  seen  these  shells  before," 
said  Mr.  Benson,  "  you  have  no  doubt  ob- 
served the  line  of  small  holes  which  are 
uniformly  found  in  them  under  the  fold  of 
the  ear.     Can  either  of  you  give  me  a  rea- 


lii  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

son  why  you   suppose    they    have  been 
made  ?" 

Neither  Edward  nor  his  sisters  were  able 
to  offer  one.  Their  uncle  then  laid  one  of 
these  shells  on  the  table,  with  the  pierced 
side  up,  which  he  told  them  was  their  natu- 
ral position,  and  bade  them  take  notice  that 
it  did  not  lie  so  close  to  the  table  as  the 
Limpets.  "They,  however,  fasten  them- 
selves to  the  rocks,"  he  said,  "  in  the  same 
manner  as  those  shells  do,  and  keep  up  a 
communication  with  the  air,  or  water  above 
them,  entirely  by  means  of  these  little 
holes."  He  then  showed  them  one  of  the 
shells  of  the  Haliotes,  or  Sea-ear  family, 
which  had  upwards  of  a  dozen  of  these 
apertures  ;  more  than  half  of  which  were, 
however,  closed  ;*  these  were  at  the  upper 
end  of  the  shell,  and  were  much  smaller 
than  the  open  ones.  "  They  were  made," 
observed  Mr.  Benson,  "when  the  animal 
was  young,  and  its  habitation  small  ;  as 
they  increased  in  age  and  size  it  stopped  up 
its  small  windows,  and  made  larger.     You 

*  Plate  8,  %.  2. 


PATELLA,  OR  LIMPET  SHELL. 


Fig.  1. 
HALIOTIS,  OR  EAR  SHELL. 


Fig.  2. 


13 


A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT.  147 

have  now,  I  think,  had  quite  enough  matter 
for  your  young  heads  to  digest  on  one  day, 
and  so  I  shall  dismiss  you  from  my  study." 
So  saying,  Mr.  Benson  locked  up  his  cabi- 
net, and  the  young  people  took  their  leave 
of  him  for  the  present,  after  thanking  him 
warmly  for  all  the  trouble  he  had  taken  for 
their  p-ratiflcation. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Gen.  1 :  20.  "  And  God  said,  Let  the  waters  bring 
forth  abundantly  the  moving  creature  that  hath  life." 
21.  "  And  God  created  great  whales  and  every  living 
creature  that  moveth,  which  the  waters  brought  forth 
abundantly  after  their  kind" — "  and  God  saw  that  it  was 
good." 

A  day  or  two  after  the  visit  of  the  young 
Stanleys  to  their  uncle's  study,  which  was 
recorded  in  the  last  chapter,  while  Mr. 
Benson  was  reading  his  newspapers  there, 
he  observed  the  heads  of  his  nieces  peeping 
in,  as  if  to  ascertain  whether  he  was  en-, 
gaged.  When  they  found  that  he  was  busy, 
they  very  properly  withdrew  in  silence. 


148  A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT. 

They  were  not,  it  must  be  confessed,  very 
sorry  to  hear  their  uncle's  voice  recalling 
them,  before  they  had  gone  far  from  his 
door,  for  these  little  girls  dearly  loved  to  be 
with  their  kind  friend. 

When  they  came  in,  they  stood  by  his 
side  in  silence  for  a  few  minutes,  as  if  they 
were  a  little  unwilling  to  tell  him  what  was 
their  object  in  making  the  visit.  Mr.  Ben- 
son, too,  said  nothing  for  a  while  ;  but  at 
last  he  gave  one  of  his  good-humored 
smiles,  and  drew  them  both  towards  him. 
After  looking  at  them  steadily,  he  asked  if 
he  should  guess  what  they  came  for  ;  they 
told  him  to  do  so,  if  he  pleased. 

"  Well,"  said  he,  "I  must  try  my  powers 
of  sifting  matters.  Let  me  see — Anna  and 
Emma  Stanley  were  so  much  pleased  with 
the  sight  of  their  uncle's  cabinet  the  other 
day,  that  they  are  greatly  inclined  to  look 
at  it  again.  Anna  being  the  most  timid,  is 
afraid  to  make  the  request  herself,  and  so 
Emma  has  come,  supported  by  her  sister 
to  ask  the  favor.  Edward,  I  suspect, 
thought  it  would  look  too  childish  for  him 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  149 

to  be  seen  in  front  of  the  detachment ;  but  if 
•I  am  not  mistaken  ;  he  is  lying  in  ambush 
behind,  ready  to  be  summoned.  Have  I 
not  stated  matters  pretty  nearly  right  ?" 

The  laugh  of  the  little  girls  was  echoed 
by  a  merry  peal  from  the  hall,  and  soon 
Edward  appeared.  u  You  have  not  guessed 
exactly  what  we  came  for,  dear  uncle," 
said  Emma.  "  It  was  not  so  much  to  see 
your  cabinet,  as  to  ask  you  if  you  would  be 
so  kind  as  to  tell  us  of  some  more  of  the 
curious  anecdotes  you  know  about  shells 
and  other  creatures  which  are  found  in  the 
sea." 

"  Ah !"  said  Mr.  Benson,  "  it  is  a  more 
serious  favor  then,  you  have  to  beg  of  me ; 
but  as  I  always  like  to  gratify  the  rational 
desires  of  young  people,  when  made  known 
at  proper  times,  and  in  a  right  manner,  I 
will  not  deny  you  if  you  give  me  a  little 
while  to  collect  my  materials.  You  may 
go  and  amuse  yourselves,  or  employ  your- 
selves this  morning,  and  this  afternoon,  at 
four  o'clock,  you  may  return  to  my  study." 

Just  as  the  hall  clock  struck  the  last  note 
13* 


150  A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT. 

of  four,  Mr.  Benson  heard  a  gentle  tap  at 
his  door,  and  when  he  gave  the  summons 
to  enter,  Mrs.  Stanley  and  her  three  chil- 
dren appeared.  "I  hope  you  will  admit 
one  more  into  your  audience  than  you 
promised,"  said  that  lady,  "for  I  always 
like  to  take  every  opportunity  possible,  of 
gaining  information  that  may  benefit  my 
children." 

"  I  certainly  shall  not  do  so  rude  a  thing," 
replied  her  brother,  "  as  to  turn  a  lady  out 
of  my  presence  ;  more  especially,  as  I  think 
it  very  likely  I  shall  have  to  call  in  her  as- 
sistance. Among  all  the  'wonders  of  the 
deep,'  which  have  been  described  since  your 
visit,  I  have  heard  no  notice  taken  of  the 
various  species  of  fish ;  and  as  some  of  them 
are  in  their  habits  very  curious,  and  as  all 
exhibit  traces  of  His  wisdom  and  love,  who, 
when  they  were  first,  created,  pronounced 
them  '  good,'  I  have  determined  to  speak  of 
this  branch  of  the  animal  kingdom  this  af- 
ternoon, in  preference  to  any  other.  Fishes 
are  ranked  with  the  other  animals  which 
possess  a  skeleton  of  bones,  but  they  are 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  151 

distinguished  from  them  all  by  their  mode 
of  breathing;.  You  are  all  aware  that  hu- 
man  creatures,  birds,  and  beasts,  are  fur- 
nished by  God  with  lungs,  by  which  they 
draw  in  the  air,  and  then  expel  it  again : 
but  as  fishes  were  created  to  inhabit  the 
water,  their  apparatus  for  breathing  is  very 
different :  this  consists  of  their  gills,  which 
are  formed,  to  use  Mr.  Kirby's  words,  {  of 
long  pointed  plates  disposed  like  the  teeth 
of  a  comb,  attached  to  bony  or  gristly  bows; 
each  of  them  covered  by  a  tissue  of  innu- 
merable blood  vessels.'  I  will  read  you  a 
short  passage  from  the  twenty-first  chapter 
of  Mr.  Kirby's  Treatise  with  reference  to 
this  subject,  since  I  think  his  remarks  are 
truly  worth  remembering  by  all  of  us.  '  We 
know  by  experience,'  he  says,  'how  soon 
an  animal  that  breathes  by  lungs,  if  it  re- 
mains only  a  few  minutes  under  water,  and 
is  cut  off  from  the  atmosphere,  is  suffocated 
and  dies  ;  and  that  all  aquatic  animals  that 
have  not  gills,  or  something  like  them,  as 
all  the  water-beetles,  &c.  are  obliged  to  seek 
the  surface  of  the  water  for  breath.  Whence 


152  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

we  may  learn  what  an  admirable  contri- 
vance of  divine  wisdom  is  here  presented 
to  us,  to  enable  the  infinite  host  of  fishes  to 
breathe  as  easily  in  the  water  as  we  do  in 
the  air.'  He  afterwards  tells  us,  that  when 
we  sum  up  the  various  characteristics  by 
which  this  class  of  creatures  we  are  now 
considering  is  distinguished  from  other 
branches  of  the  animal  world,  t  we  can 
trace  at  almost  every  step — so  plainly,  tha* 
almost  he  that  rims  can  read — infinite  pow- 
er in  the  construction,  infinite  wisdom  in 
the  contrivance  and  adaptations,  and  infi- 
nite goodness  in  the  end  and  object,  of  the 
peculiar  modes  by  which  they  are  enabled 
to  live  and  move,  and  carry  on  the  various 
animal  functions.  What  else  than  such  a 
God  as  the  Bible  represents,  '  could  have 
peopled  the  air  and  the  waters  with  a  set 
of  beings  so  perfectly  and  beautifully  con- 
trasted with  each  other,  as  the  fishes  and 
the  birds.  Sprung  originally  from  the  same 
element,  they  each  move,  as  it  were,  in  an 
ocean  of  their  own,  and  by  the  aid  of  simi- 
lar, though  not  the  same   means.      The 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  153 

grosser  element  they  inhabit,  required  a  dif- 
ferent set.  of  organs  to  defend,  to  propel  and 
guide,  and  to  sink  and  elevate  the  fish,  from 
what  were  requisite  to  effect  the  same  pur- 
poses for  the  bird,  which  moves  in  a  rarer, 
(that  is,  thinner,  more  delicate,)  and  purer 
medium.' — Kirby.  As  a  specimen  of  the 
wisdom  and  love  of  God,  displayed  in  suit- 
ing the  bodies  of  fishes  to  the  element  in 
which  they  were  intended  to  live,  let  me 
point  out  to  your  notice  the  peculiarities  in 
their  eyes.  We  all  know  that  the  sensation 
felt  on  opening  our  eyes  in  water,  is  very 
painful,  and  only  overcome  by  long  prac- 
tice, but  this  organ  in  the  head  of  the  fish  is 
formed  like  ours ;  how  then  is  it  enabled 
to  move  in  water  so  pleasantly  and  readily? 
Kirby  informs  us,  that  'the  substance  of 
which  it  is  made  makes  the  access  of  water 
no  more  troublesome  to  it,  than  that  of  the 
air  to  land  animals.'  The  common  eel, 
which  was  intended  to  live  a  great  deal 
buried  in  the  mud,  was  provided  by  the 
goodness  of  the  Creator,  with  a  transparent 
curtain  which  it  can  at  pleasure  draw  over 


154  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

its  eye,  to  shield  it  from  the  mud.  Another 
singular  kind  of  eye  is  found  in  a  fish  which 
inhabits  the  rivers  of  Surinam,  and  is  called 
by  the  natives  the  four-eyed  fish  :  it  is  fur- 
nished with  four  pupils,  and  four  of  the 
iris  :  the  iris  is,  you  know,  that  part  of  the 
eye  which  is  colored  differently  in  various 
persons,  some  being  blue,  others  black,  ha- 
zel, or  gray.  Mr.  Kirby  conjectures  that 
1  the  object  of  divine  wisdom  in  this  ex- 
traordinary formation,  may  have  been,  to 
enable  the  animal  to  see  near  and  distant 
objects  at  the  same  time — the  little  worms 
below  it,  that  form  its  food,  with  one  pupil 
and  iris,  and  the  great  fishes  above  it  or  at 
a  distance,  which  it  may  find  it  necessary 
to  guard  against,  with  the  other.'  " 

"  Is  the  eel  the  only  kind  of  fish,  uncle," 
inquired  Edward,  "  that  is  furnished  with 
a  curtain  to  draw  over  its  eyes  ?" 

"  It  is  certainly  not  the  only  one,  Ed- 
ward," replied  Mr.  Benson ;  "  on  the  con- 
trary, Dr.  Good  in  his  Book  of  Nature,  tells 
us  not  only  that  the  elephant,  opossum,  seal, 
cat-kind,  and  all  birds,  but  that  all  fishes 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  155 

are  provided  with  what  he  calls  a  third  eye- 
lid, by  which  they  are  enabled  to  cover 
their  eyes  with  a  thin  transparent  veil, 
either  wholly  or  in  part,  and  thus  defend 
those  organs  from  danger." 

"  I  wish,  brother,"  said  Mrs.  Stanley, 
"  that  you  would  be  so  kind  as  to  tell  my 
children  something  about  the  formation  and 
use  of  the  fins  of  fishes,  as  Edward  has 
been  making  many  inquiries  on  the  sub- 
ject." 

"I  will  with  pleasure,"  answered  Mr. 
Benson,  "for  it  is  a  point  well  deserving 
our  consideration,  and  certainly  one  of  the 
most  essential  and  striking  characteristics 
of  fishes,  from  the  little  minnow,  which  a 
child  may  hold  in  the  hollow  of  its  hand, 
to  the  mammoth  whale.  Fins  appear  to 
have  been  given  to  these  creatures,  as  far 
as  we  can  ascertain,  entirely  as  instruments 
of  motion :  they  assume  a  variety  of  shapes 
and  sizes,  but  could  we  examine  each 
individual  fish,  we  should  see  that  the 
Almighty  Creator  has  taken  care  that 
the  fins  of  every  one  should  be  specially 


166  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

adapted  to  its  particular  weight  and  mo- 
tions. Mr.  Kirby  observes,  l  Nothing  is 
more  graceful  and  elegant  than  the  motions 
of  fishes  in  their  own  pure  element.  Not 
to  mention  the  shifting  radiance  of  their 
forms  as  they  glance  in  the  sunbeams,  their 
extreme  flexibility,  and  the  ease  with  which 
they  glide  through  the  waters,  give  to  their 
motions  a  character  of  easy  progress  which 
has  no  parallel,  unless,  perhaps,  in  the  va- 
ried flight  of  the  wing-swift  swallow  among 
birds.  How  rapidly  do  they  glide,  and  are 
lost  to  sight  by  a  mere  stroke  of  their  tail ! 
at  another  time,  less  alarmed,  how  quietly 
do  they  suspend  themselves,  and  cease  all 
progressive  motion,  so  that  we  can  discover 
them  to  be  alive  only  by  the  fan-like  mo- 
tion of  their  pectoral  fins,*  an  action  which 
seems  in  some  sort  connected  with  their  act 
of  breathing  ;  for  they  move  them,  as  I 
have  observed,  more  rapidly  when  in  sultry 
weather  they  seek  the  surface.'  I  must 
try,"  resumed  Mr.  Benson,  "  to  give  you  a 

*  Pectoral  fins  are  those  which  are  nearest  the  head, 
and  close  by  the  gills. 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  .  7 

brief  description  of  their  fins  :  they  are  com- 
posed of  a  covering  of  skin  which  is  gene- 
rally supported  by  bony  or  gristly  rays,  like 
the  strips  of  cedar  in  a  paper  or  silk  fan, 
and  like  that,  they  can  open  or  shut,  more 
or  less.  Fishes  are  usually  provided  with 
two  pair  of  fins ;  those  nearest  the  head  an- 
swer the  same  purpose  with  the  forelegs  of 
other  animals  ;  the  pair  next  the  tail  cor- 
respond with  their  hind  legs :  they  have 
also,  in  many  instances,  a  fin  along  the 
back  ;  l  and  the  tail  itself  terminates  in 
another,  which  is  the  most  powerful  of  all.' 
This  last  they  use  not  only  as  an  instru- 
ment of  motion,  but  as  a  rudder  to  guide 
them  in  their  course.  Some  kinds  of  fish 
are  said  to  possess  the  sense  of  hearing  in 
an  uncommon  degree  ;  and  I  recollect 
reading  of  some  carp,  or  salmon,  I  do  not 
remember  which,  that  were  kept  in  a  pond 
by  some  English  nobleman,  which  had 
been  taught  to  rise  regularly  to  the  surface 
of  the  water  for  their  dinner  at  the  sound 
of  a  bell.  Mr.  Kirby  quotes  the  naturalist 
Lacepede's  assertion  of  some  facts  of  this 

14 


158  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

kind,  which,  I  must  own,  seem  to  me  a  little 
incredible  :  this  gentleman  not  only  de- 
clares. ■  that  in  many  parts  of  Germany  fish 
of  the  trout,  carp,  and  tench  kinds,  are  sum- 
moned to  their  food  by  the  sound  of  a  bell,' 
but  also,  that  '  some  were  kept  in  the  basin 
of  the  Thuilleries  for  more  than  a  century, 
that  would  come  when  called  by  name?  " 

The  young  Stanleys  were  highly  amused 
at  this  account,  and  seemed  much  amazed 
that  any  fish  ever  lived  to  be  an  hundred 
years  old. 

"  If  you  think  an  hundred  years  so  ex- 
traordinary an  age  for  a  fish  to  attain,  my 
young  friends,"  said  Mr.  Benson,  '-what 
will  you  say  to  the  pike  which  was  taken 
at  Kaiserslauten,  on  the  Rhine,  1754 ; 
which,  from  a  ring  fastened  in  its  gill,  was 
proved  to  have  been  put  there  in  1487,  by 
the  order  of  one  of  the  emperors  of  Germa- 
ny, and  which  was  consequently  upwards 
of  267  years  old  ?  This  venerable  patriarch 
measured  19  feet  in  length,  and  weighed 
350  pounds."* 

*  Kirby's  Bridgewater  Treatise,  p.  392. 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  159 

"  Oh,  uncle  !"  said  Edward,  laughing, 
"  that  was  certainly  the  Methuselah  of  fish- 
es. No  doubt  such  a  venerable  personage 
must  have  been  wiser  than  any  you  have 
mentioned  before.  But,  seriously,  how  can 
the  age  of  a  fish  be  known  when  it  is  with- 
out such  a  contrivance  as  the  ring  1  I  am 
sure  I  cannot  think  how  it  can  be  possibly 
told." 

"  Mr.  Smellie  informs  us,"  said  Mr.  Ben- 
son, "that  two  methods  have  been  devised 
for  ascertaining  the  age  of  fishes.  One  is 
by  examining  their  scales  with  a  micro- 
scope, which  will  be  found  to  consist  of  a 
number  of  circles,  one  within  another, 
somewhat  like  the  rings  in  the  inside  of  the 
trunk  of  a  tree  ;  each  one  of  these  circles 
answers  to  a  year  in  the  life  of  the  animal. 
The  other  mode  is  to  cut  the  back  bone  of 
the  fish  across,  and  observe  the  number  of 
rings  in  the  surface  of  one  of  the  joints, 
each  of  which  is  said  in  like  manner  to 
correspond  with  a  year  in  the  age  of  the 
fish  to  which  it  belonged.  Before  giving 
you  any  description  of  particular  species  of 


160  A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT. 

fish,  I  cannot  omit  noticing  one  feature  in 
their  history,  and  that  is  the  extensive  jour- 
neys which  many  of  them  make  at  certain 
seasons  of  the  year.  This  instinct  fishes 
possess  in  common  with  many  other  ani- 
mals, but  in  their  case  it  is  productive  of 
peculiar  benefit  to  man,  and  may  indeed  De 
ranked  as  a  great  blessing  to  our  race." 

"I  do  not  understand,  uncle,"  observed 
Edward,  "what  you  mean  when  you  say 
that  that  instinct  of  fishes  which  makes 
them  travel  in  large  bodies  to  distant  places, 
is  such  a  great  advantage  to  mankind  ;  ex- 
cept that  at  such  times  they  afford  abun- 
dant and  cheap  food  to  many  poor  people, 
as  well  as  rich  ones." 

"  Wait  a  little  while,  Edward,"  said  his 
mother,  "  and  do  not  be  too  forward  in  giv- 
ing your  opinion.  I  have  no  doubt  that 
your  uncle  is  amply  provided  with  facts, 
by  which  he  can  support  his  assertion." 

"I  will  only  instance,"  observed  Mr. 
Benson,  "  a  few  particulars  connected  with 
the  history  of  the  herring,  and  then  Edward 
will  be  convinced  that  I  have  not  spoken 


A  VISIT   TO  NAHANT.  161 

hastily.  This  fish  is  said  to  be  a  native  of 
the  arctic  or  frozen  seas  of  Europe,  Asia, 
and  America.  When  the  ice  begins  to  melt 
in  those  waters  in  the  spring  of  the  year, 
immense  shoals  of  the  herring,  consisting 
of  many  millions,  so  closely  compacted 
that  the  fish  touch  each  other,  set  off  on 
their  journeys  in  search  of  food,  and  to  de- 
posite  their  eggs.  Mr.  Kirby  tells  us  that 
1  these  shoals  are  many  fathoms  in  thick- 
ness ;  (a  fathom  is  six  feet.)  The  largest 
and  strongest  fish  lead  the  shoals,  which 
seem  to  move  in  a  certain  order,  and  to 
divide  in  bands  as  they  proceed,  visiting 
the  shores  of  various  islands  and  countries, 
and  enriching  their  inhabitants.  Their 
presence  and  progress  are  usually  indicated 
by  various  sea-birds,  sharks,  and  other  ene- 
mies. One  of  the  other  species  of  fish,  call- 
ed the  sea-ape,  is  said  to  accompany  them, 
and  is  thence  called  the  king  of  the  her- 
rings. They  throw  off  also  a  kind  of  oily 
or  slimy  substance,  which  extends  over 
their  columns,  and  is  easily  seen  in  calm 
weather.     This  substance,  in  gloomy,  still 

14* 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 


nights,  exhibits  a  phosphoric  light,  as  if  a 
cloth  a  little  luminous  was  spread  over  the 
sea.  Some  conjecture  may  be  formed  of 
the  infinite  numbers  of  these  invaluable 
fishes  that  are  taken  by  European  nations, 
from  what  Lacepede  relates — that  in  Nor- 
way twenty  millions  have  been  taken  at  a 
single  fishing;  that  there  are  few  years 
that  they  do  not  capture  four  hundred  mil- 
lions, and  that  at  Gottenburgh  and  its  vi- 
cinity seven  hundred  millions  are  annually 
taken  :  but  what  are  these  millions,  he  re- 
marks, to  the  incredible  numbers  that  go  to 
the  share  of  the  English,  Dutch,  and  other 
European  nations.'" — Kirby,  B.  T.  p.  61. 

"  Dear  uncle,"  said  Edward,  blushing  as 
he  spoke,  "  mother  was  indeed  right ;  for  I 
spoke  very  hastily,  and  I  am  afraid  in  too 
forward  a  manner.  I  am  sorry  that  I  in- 
terrupted you,  and  ventured  to  give  my 
opinion  on  a  subject,  on  which  I  find  that  I 
knew  so  little.  I  am  astonished  to  hear 
that  the  herring  abounds  in  such  monstrous 
quantities." 

"  Your   apology  is  accepted,   my  dear 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  163 

boy,"  replied  his  uncle  ;  "  I  have,  however, 
some  facts  to  state  with  respect  to  the  her- 
ring fishery,  which  will  still  more  strongly 
confirm  my  assertion,  that  the  migration  of 
fishes  is  a  great  blessing  conferred  by  God 
on  our  race.  <  Three  thousand  decked  ves- 
sels of  different  sizes,  besides  smaller  boats, 
are  stated  to  be  annually  employed  in  the 
herring  fishery,  with  a  proportionable  num- 
ber of  seamen,  besides  a  vast  number  of 
hands,  that,  at  certain  seasons,  are  occupied 
in  curing  them.' — Kirby.  Then,  again, 
Edward,  barrels  and  boxes  are  to  be  manu- 
factured to  pack  them  in ;  this  gives  em- 
ployment to  many  coopers  and  other  me- 
chanics, so  that  not  only  do  these  fisheries 
furnish  food  for  the  numerous  people  who 
eat  the  fish,  but  they  also  provide  work  for 
a  vast  concourse  of  different  kinds  of  honest 
tradesmen,  and  so  become  a  blessing  in  va- 
rious ways.  I  have  mentioned  the  herring 
as  being  the  most  remarkable  instance  of 
migration,  but  there  are  various  other  kinds 
of  fish  which  might  be  noticed,  such  as  the 
cod,  mackerel,  haddock,  salmon,  &c.     The 


164  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

latter  has  been  designated  as  l  the  king  of 
the  river  migrators.'  It-  is3  however,  be- 
sides, frequent  in  almost  every  sea  all  over 
the  globe,  though  it  is  said  not  yet  to  have 
been  seen  in  the  waters  of  the  Mediterrane- 
an. '  It  traverses  the  whole  length  of  the 
largest  rivers.  It  reaches  Bohemia  by  the 
Elbe,  Switzerland  by  the  Rhine,  and  the 
Cordilleras  of  America  by  the  mighty  Ma- 
ragnon,  or  river  of  Amazons,  whose  course 
is  more  than  three  thousand  miles.  In 
temperate  climates  the  salmon  quits  the  sea 
early  in  the  spring,  when  the  waves  are 
driven  by  a  strong  wind  against  the  river 
currents.  It  enters  the  rivers  of  France  in 
the  beginning  of  the  autumn  in  September, 
and  in  Kamschatka  and  North  America 
still  later.  In  some  countries  this  is  called 
the  salmon  wind.  They  rush  into  rivers 
that  are  freest  from  ice,  or  where  they  are 
carried  by  the  highest  tide,  favored  by  the 
wind ;  they  prefer  those  streams  that  are 
the  most  shaded.  They  leave  the  sea  in 
numerous  bands,  formed  with  great  regu- 
larity.    The  largest  individual,  which  is 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  165 

usually  a  female,  takes  the  lead,  and  is  fol- 
lowed by  others  of  the  same  sex,  by  two 
an  two,  each  pair  being  at  the  distance  of 
from  three  to  six  feet  from  the  preceding 
one  ;  next  come  the  old,  and  after  them,  the 
young  males  in  the  same  order.  The  noise 
they  make  in  their  transit,  heard  from  a 
distance,  sounds  like  a  far-off  storm.  In 
the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  in  tempests,  they 
keep  near  the  bottom  ;  at  other  times  they 
swim  a  little  below  the  surface.  In  fair 
weather  they  move  slowly,  sporting  as  they 
go,  at  the  surface,  and  wandering  again  and 
again  from  their  direct  route  ;  but  when 
alarmed,  they  dart  forward  with  such  ra- 
pidity that  the  eye  can  scarcely  follow 
them.  They  employ  only  three  months  in 
ascending  to  the  sources  of  the  Maragnon, 
the  current  of  which  is  remarkably  rapid, 
which  is  at  the  rate  of  nearly  forty  miles  a 
day  ;  in  a  smooth  stream  or  lake,  their  pro- 
gress would  increase  in  a  fourfold  degree. 
Their  tail  is  a  very  powerful  organ,  and  its 
muscles   have   a  wonderful    energy  ;    by 


166  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT 

placing  it  in  their  mouth*  they  make  of  it  a 
very  elastic  spring,  for,  letting  it  go  with 
violence,  they  raise  themselves  in  the  air 
to  the  height  of  from  twelve  to  fifteen  feet, 
and  so  clear  the  cataract  that  impedes  their 
course  ;  if  they  fail  in  their  first  attempt, 
they  continue  their  efforts  till  they  have  ac- 
complished it.' — Kirby.  Hark  !"  said  Mr. 
Benson,  "  there  is  the  bell  summoning  us 
to  tea ;  I  must,  of  course,  postpone  what 
else  I  had  to  say  until  to-morrow." 

*  This  idea  of  the  salmon  placing  their  tails  in  their 
mouths,  Mr.  Smellie  expressly  contradicts,  and  declares  it 
a  vulgar  notion,  and  asserts  that  they  spring  straight  up 
with  a  tremulous  motion :  the  young  reader  must  decide 
between  Kirby's  and  Smellie's  statements. 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  167 

CHAPTER  X. 

"  While  the  last  bubble  crowned  the  dimpling  eddy, 
Through  which  mine  eye  still  giddily  pursued  it, 
A  joyous  creature  vaulted  through  the  air, — 
The  aspiring  fish  that  fain  would  be  a  bird, 
On  long  light  wings,  that  flung  a  diamond  shower 
Of  dew-drops  round  his  evanescent  form, 
Sprang  into  light, — and  instantly  descended." 

Mrs.  Stanley  had,  at  the  earnest  re- 
quest of  her  brother,  prolonged  her  visit  to 
Nahant  much  beyond  the  time  she  had  an- 
ticipated when  she  first  went  there,  until 
she  found  she  could  remain  no  longer  ;  and 
on  the  morning  succeeding  the  day  we  de- 
scribed in  the  last  chapter,  she  informed 
him  at  the  breakfast  table  that  it  would  be 
absolutely  necessary  for  her  to  leave  him 
the  day  but  one  after,  though  she  said  she 
should  do  so  with  more  regret  than  she 
had  ever  experienced  before  on  such  occa- 
sions. While  she  thanked  him  for  all  his 
kindness  to  her  and  to  her  children,  and 
particularly  for  the  trouble  he  had  taken  to 
instruct  and  amuse  them,  by  describing  the 
works  of  God  to  them,  and  leading  them  to 


168  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

see  His  hand  in  their  wonderful  structure, 
the  tears  of  grateful  affection  rolled  down 
her  cheeks.  "  I  try,  dear  brother,"  she  said, 
"  to  look  beyond  this  short  life  to  that  world 
of  blessedness  and  holiness,  where  I  trust 
we  shall  spend  an  eternity  together,  in  dis- 
coursing of  God's  great  and  glorious  per- 
fections, and  in  singing  the  great  song, 
which  ascribes  glory,  and  honor,  and  pow- 
er, to  our  blessed  Redeemer  forever  and 
ever.  While  I  think  of  that  scene,  I  am  in 
some  measure  reconciled  to  our  painful 
separation  here." 

Mr.  Benson  became  visibly  affected  also, 
and  he  dwelt  on  the  pleasure  he  had  de- 
rived from  seeing  his  sister  and  her  chil- 
dren at  his  house.  He  told  her  that  her 
visit  had  given  him  quite  a  disgust,  or 
rather  distaste  for  his  solitary  habits  of  life  ; 
so  much  so,  that  he  had  been  seriously  con- 
sidering, whether  she  and  her  children 
could  not  leave  their  old  residence,  and 
come  to  live  with  him.  "  You  know 
Anna,"  said  Mr.  Benson,  -'that  I  have  no 
wish  to  marry,  and  never  have  had,  since 


A  VISIT  TO   NAHANT  169 

the  object  of  my  early  affections  was  taken 
from  me."  He  remained  silent  for  a  long 
time,  and  seemed  absorbed  in  a  train  of 
painful  recollections,  as  his  memory  revert- 
ed to  those  happy  days  of  early  manhood, 
when  he  was  anticipating  a  union  with 
one  who  was  peculiarly  calculated  to  throw 
a  charm  around  domestic  life.  Disease 
fastened  on  his  beloved  Mary,  and  she  was 
removed  from  him  to  another  and  better 
world ;  but  he  had  loved  too  tenderly  and 
too  long  to  form  a  second  attachment,  and 
had  gradually  settled  down  as  a  confirmed 
old  bachelor.  His  quiet  habits  of  life  for 
the  last  eight  or  nine  years  had  made  him 
indisposed  to  travel,  and  his  sister  and  he 
had  not  met  for  that  length  of  time.  He 
had  been  greatly  delighted  at  seeing  her 
again,  and  had  become  so  much  attached  to 
her  children,  that  the  thoughts  of  a  separa- 
tion from  them,  and  a  consequent  return  to 
a  solitary  parlor  and  a  silent  table,  was 
very  painful  to  him.  He  had  been  for 
some  days  seriously  considering  his  project, 
until  he  thought  he  had  met  and  answered 
15 


170  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

every  objection  on  his  own  part ;  he  now, 
therefore,  waited  somewhat  anxiously  to 
hear  what  his  sister  would  say  to  the  pro- 
posal. She  told  him,  after  due  deliberation, 
that  she  felt  no  disinclination  to  the  plan, 
and  she  was  sure  that  her  children  would 
be  as  happy  to  remain  with  their  dear  un 
cle  as  she  could  be,  but  that  she  felt  a  good 
deal  of  delicacy  in  burdening  him  with  so 
great  an  increase  to  his  family.  "  But  I 
tell  you,  Anna,"  he  said  playfully,  "  it  will 
De  real  charity  in  you  to  come  to  me  ;  I  am 
beginning  to  feel  the  approach  of  age,  and 
I  often  experience  a  sad  want  of  a  kind  fe- 
male friend  to  soothe  and  comfort  me  in 
sickness.  Edward  shall  be  my  assistant  in 
my  counting-house,  and  my  dear  little  girls, 
at  home  ;  your  children  shall  have  every 
advantage  in  their  education,  and  from 
henceforth  shall  be  considered  as  my  own." 
The  mother's  feelings  were  touched  and 
comforted,  for  she  was  often  tempted  to  be 
anxious  about  them,  though  she  tried  con- 
tinually to  commit  them  to  Him,  who  has 
so  tenderly  encouraged  the  timid  parent  to 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  171 

cast  her  fatherless  children  on  Him  for  pro- 
tection. She  had,  from  motives  of  delica- 
cy, not  made  her  difficulties  known  to  her 
brother,  and  he,  from  long  absence,  had 
ceased  to  think  of  them,  as  he  once  had 
done.  A  long  conversation  ensued,  and 
the  result  was,  that  it  was  determined  Mrs. 
Stanley  should  relinquish  her  humble  coun- 
try residence,  which  she  had  selected  from 
motives  of  economy,  and  not  from  choice, 
and  should  come  to  preside  over  her  bro- 
ther's house.  She  was  to  leave  him,  as  she 
first  proposed,  and  go  home  for  a  few  weeks 
to  make  her  necessary  arrangements  ;  after 
that,  she  was  to  return  and  remain  with  Mr. 
Benson.  The  young  Stanleys  entered  into 
their  uncle's  scheme  with  all  the  enthusi- 
asm of  youth,  and  were  soon  busy  in  lay- 
ing their  future  little  plans. 

After  dinner  Mr.  Benson  summoned  them 
to  his  study,  telling  them  that  as  they  were 
about  to  be  separated  for  some  weeks,  they 
must  come  and  have  a  little  more  conver- 
sation with  him  on  the  subject  he  had  com 
menced  on  the  afternoon  previous,  in  ordei 


172  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

that,  by  occupying  his  time,  he  might  not 
have  leisure  to  get  melancholy  at  the 
thought  of  being  alone  again.  "  We  have 
a  good  deal  to  talk  of,"  he  said,  "  and  our 
time  is  limited,  so  that  I  shall  only  be  able 
to  make  selections  of  certain  kinds  of  fish 
to  describe  to  you.  Anna,  my  dear,  you 
shall  choose  our  first  subject ;  what  shall  it 
be?"  "It  is  hardly  fair,  dear  uncle,  to  let 
the  youngest  have  the  first  choice,"  she  re- 
plied. "We  are  both  willing  that  you 
should  do  so,"  said  Edward  and  Emma  at 
once,  "  for  you  are  always  so  ready  to  give 
up  to  us." 

Anna  selected  the  flying-fish  as  that 
which  she  would  most  like  to  hear  about. 

"  Ah  !"  said  her  uncle,  "  you  want  to 
have  a  description  of  that  £  aspiring  fish 
that  fain  would  be  a  bird,'  as  Montgomery 
the  poet  calls  him.  To  render  my  account 
the  more  interesting,  I  will  show  the  wings 
of  one  of  these  pretty  creatures,  which  I 
cut  from  a  dead  flying-fish,  who  destroyed 
himself  by  his  adventurous  flight  into  my 
vessel,  during  one  of  my  voyages  in  the 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  173 

Mediterranean."  Mr.  Benson  took  the  wings 
to  which  he  referred  from  his  cabinet,  and 
showed  them  to  his  nephew  and  nieces. 
The  largest  was  about  six  inches  in  length; 
the  rays  were  very  small  and  delicate,  and 
the  texture  of  the  wing  resembled  a  sheet 
of  thin  transparent  mica,  or  isinglass.  "  Tfi3 
fish,"  he  said,  « to  which  this  belonged,  flew 
with  some  others  of  the  same  kind  into  our 
vessel.  They  had  probably  been  alarmed 
by  the  attack  of  some  larger  fish,  for  they 
came  with  great  rapidity,  and  looked  as  if 
under  the  influence  of  terror.  This  poor 
thing  in  its  haste  ran  its  head  against  part 
of  the  vessel  and  killed  itself.  It  was  about 
a  foot  in  length ;  the  wings  were  the  fins 
nearest  the  head,  and  were  formed  of  this 
light  transparent  substance,  in  order,  no 
doubt,  that  their  weight  might  not  interfere 
with  the  motions  of  the  animal.  We  ate 
the  flesh,  and  found  it  delicate  and  agreea- 
ble. Mr.  Kirby  is  not  quite  willing  that 
we  should  apply  the  term  flying,  to  the  mo- 
tions of  these  pretty  creatures  in  the  air  ; 
he  says  the  word  is  not  a  correct  one,  for 
15* 


174  A  VISIT   TO  NAHANT. 

that  these  fish  really  do  not  use  their  fins 
to  fly  with,  but  as  a  support  in  the  air,  when 
they  are  driven  from  the  sea  by  the  attacks 
of  their  rapacious  enemies.  I  have  told 
you  of  a  fish  that  flies,  would  you  like  to 
hear  of  some  that  can  walk,  and  even  climb 
trees  |w 

"  Oh,  uncle  !"  said  Emma,  "surely  you 
are  not  in  earnest !" 

"  Yes,  I  am,  Emma,"  answered  Mr.  Ben- 
son, "  really  and  truly  in  earnest,  and  I 
have  the  best  authority  for  my  assertion. 
Not  to  mention  others,  I  will  merely  tell 
you  that  both  Dr.  Good  and  Mr.  Kirby  de- 
scribe such  animals  of  the  fish  kind.  1  will 
read  you  some  extracts  from  the  latter 
gentleman's  work,  which  are  as  follows. 
'  Other  fish,  when  reduced  to  extremity, 
desert  their  native  pool,  and  travel  in  search 
of  another  that  is  better  supplied  with  wa- 
ter. This  has  long  been  known  of  eels, 
which  wind  by  night  through  the  grass  in 
search  of  water,  when  so  circumstanced. 
Dr.  Hancock,  in  the  Zoological  Journal, 
gives  an  account  of  a  species  of  fish,  called 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  175 

by  the  Indians  the  fathead  hassar,  which 
is  instructed  by  its  Creator,  when  the  pools 
in  which  they  commonly  reside,  in  very 
dry  seasons  lose  their  water,  to  take  the  re- 
solution of  marching  by  land  in  search  of 
others  which  contain  water.  These  fish 
grow  to  about  the  length  of  a  foot,  and 
travel  in  large  droves  with  this  view  ;  they 
move  by  night,  and  their  motion  is  said  to 
be  like  that  of  the  two-footed  lizard.  A 
strong  serrated*  arm  forms  the  outer  ray  of 
the  fin  nearest  the  head.  Using  this  as  a 
kind  of  foot,  it  would  seem,  they  push 
themselves  forward  by  means  of  their  elas- 
tic tail,  moving  nearly  as  fast  as  a  man  will 
walk  leisurely.  The  strong  plates  which 
envelope  their  body  make  their  progress 
more  easy ;  in  the  same  manner  as  those 
under  the  body  of  the  serpent,  which  in 
some  degree  perform  the  office  of  feet.  It 
is  affirmed  by  the  Indians  that  they  are  fur- 
nished with  an  internal  supply  of  water 
sufficient  for  their  journey,  which  seems 

*  Serrated — having  an  edge  toothed  like  that  of  a  com- 
mon saw. 


176  A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT. 

confirmed  by  the  circumstance  that  their 
bodies  when  taken  out  of  the  water,  even  if 
wiped  dry  with  a  cloth,  become  instantly 
moist  again.  Mr.  Campbell,  a  friend  of 
Dr.  Hancock's,  resident  in  Essequibo,  once 
fell  in  with  a  drove  of  these  animals,  which 
were  so  numerous  that  the  Indians  filled 
several  baskets  with  them.'  l  Another  fish 
found  by  Daldorff  in  Tranquebar,  not  only 
creeps  upon  the  shore,  but  even  climbs  the 
fan-palm  in  pursuit  of  certain  crustaceans, 
which  form  its  food.  (This  fish  is  called 
the  perca  scandens,  or  climbing  perch.)  Its 
structure  peculiarly  fits  it  for  the  exercise 
of  this  remarkable  instinct.  Its  body  is 
rendered  slippery  with  slime,  which  ren- 
ders its  progress  easier  over  the  bark  and 
among  its  chinks :  its  gill-covers  are  armed 
with  numerous  spines,  by  which,  used  as 
hands,  it  appears  to  suspend  itself;  turning 
its  tail  to  the  left,  and  standing  as  it  were 
on  the  little  spines  of  its  lower  fin,  it  en- 
deavors to  push  itself  upwards  by  the  ex- 
pansion of  its  body,  closing  at  the  same 
time  its  gill-covers,  that  they  may  not  pre- 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  177 

vent  its  progress  ;  then  expanding  them 
again,  it  reaches  a  higher  point :  thus  it 
continues  its  journey  upwards.  The  fins 
can,  if  necessary,  be  folded  up,  and  received 
into  a  cavity  of  its  body.  How  exactly  does 
this  structure  fit  it  for  this  extraordinary 
instinct !  These  fins  assist  it  in  certain 
parts  of  its  route,  and  when  not  employed 
can  be  packed  up,  so  as  not  to  hinder  its 
progress.  The  lobes  of  its  gill-covers  are 
so  divided  and  armed  as  to  be  employed  to- 
gether or  separately  as  hands,  for  the  sus- 
pension of  the  animal,  till  by  fixing  its  low- 
er fins,  it  prepares  itself  to  take  another 
step  ;  all  showing  the  supreme  intelligence 
and  almighty  hand  that  planned  and  fabri- 
cated its  structure,  causing  so  many  organs, 
each  in  its  own  way,  to  assist  in  promoting 
a  common  purpose.' " — Kirby.  When  Mr. 
Benson  had  finished  reading  the  above  pas- 
sages, he  showed  the  young  Stanleys  an 
engraving  in  the  same  volume  of  a  kind  of 
fish  called  the  callicthys,  which  Mr.  Kirby 
assures  his  readers  possesses  the  same  pow- 
ers of  motion  as  the  flathead  hassar. 


178  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

"  There  is  another  member  of  this  fami- 
ly," said  Mr.  Benson,  "  called  the  hag-fish, 
which  uses  its  moving  powers  in  a  rather 
extraordinary  manner.  It  belongs  to  that 
class  of  fishes  which  Cuvier  distinguishes 
by  the  general  name  of  suckers.  The  cele- 
brated Linnaeus  ranked  it  among  worms, 
but  Dr.  Good  tells  us  that  it  has  been  re- 
moved from  that  order  with  great  proprie- 
ty by  modern  naturalists,  and  placed  among 
fishes.  That  gentleman  gives  us  the  fol- 
lowing description  of  the  hag-fish.  '  It  is 
a  small  lamprey-like  animal  of  not  more 
than  eight  inches  long,  and  will  convert  a 
large  vessel  of  water  in  a  short  period  of 
time  into  a  size,  (or  clear  transparent  glue,) 
of  such  a  thickness,  that  it  can  be  drawn 
out  in  threads.  The  form  and  habits  of 
this  little  animal  are  singular.  It  is  a  cun- 
ning attendant  upon  the  hooks  of  the  fish- 
erman ;  and  as  soon  as  it  perceives  a  larger 
fish  to  be  taken,  and  by  its  captivity  render- 
ed incapable  of  resistance,  it  darts  into  its 
mouth,  preys  voraciously,  like  the  fabled 
vultures  of  Prometheus,  on  its  inside,  and 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT  179 

works  its  way  out  through  the  fishs 
skiu.'" — Book  of  Nature,  p.  115. 

"Anna,"  said  Mr.  Benson,  "  you  have 
had  your  turn  in  selecting  a  subject ;  Emma 
shall  now  choose  what  fishes  there  are,  of 
which  she  would  like  to  hear  an  account." 

The  little  girl  thought  for  some  moments 
in  silence ;  at  length  she  replied,  "  I  was 
going  to  say,  uncle,  that  since  you  have 
been  so  kind  as  to  let  me  name  those  that 
would  interest  me  most,  I  should  first  say 
the  whale :  but  I  have  heard  a  good  deal 
about  that  already,  and  I  believe  it  would 
be  better  for  me  to  ask  for  some  that  I  know 
less  of;  so,  if  you  please,  I  will  choose  the 
shark  and  the  sword-fish." 

"  Really,  Emma,"  said  her  uncle,  "  your 
selection  is  somewhat  odd,  considering  you 
are  so  peaceable  a  young  lady.  May  I  in- 
quire why  you  are  particularly  interested  in 
the  history  of  the  voracious  and  cruel 
shark  ?" 

«  The  reason  is,  dear  uncle,  that  I  heard 
a  gentleman  say  the  other  day,  that  he  had 
very  little  doubt  that  it  was  one  of  these 


180  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

fish,  and  not  a  whale,  that  swallowed  Jo- 
nah ;  which  surprised  me,  because  Ithought 
the  shark  was  too  small  to  swallow  a  man." 
"  I  believe  that  opinion  is  becoming  po- 
pular," said  Mr.  Benson;  "and  the  fact  that 
they  are  fully  able  to  swallow  as  large  a 
body  as  that  of  a  human  being,  is,  I  think, 
established  by  no  less  an  authority  than 
Spall anzini.  I  remember  well  that  he 
asserts  several  facts  which  are  very  strik- 
ing on  this  point.  When  describing  the 
dangers  attendant  on  the  shark  fishery, 
he  says,  that  somewhere  about  the  time  of 
his  visit  to  Messina,  one  of  the  fishermen 
engaged  in  this  occupation,  was  furiously 
attacked  by  a  very  large  shark,  who  finally 
succeeded  in  biting  off  the  poor  man's  leg, 
and  that  when  his  companions  succeeded 
in  killing  the  voracious  creature,  the  limb 
of  the  sufferer  was  found  entire  in  its  sto- 
mach. He  informs  us  that  he  was  present- 
ed at  Nice  with  the  jaws  of  a  shark,  in 
whom  after  death  the  uninjured  body  of  a 
child  had  been  found.  And  he  also  de 
clares  that  many  witnesses  attested  to  the 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  181 

fact  of  an  enormous  shark  having-  been 
taken  near  one  of  the  maritime  towns  of 
Italy,  in  whose  stomach  were  found  two 
tunnies,  and  the  body  of  a  man  xcith  his 
clothes  untouched.  He  accounts  for  their 
extraordinary  capacities  for  swallowing,  by 
mentioning  the  fact  of  their  jawbones  being 
elastic,  from  which  circumstance  they  are 
able  to  open  their  mouths  much  wider  than 
they  could  do  otherwise.  Dr.  Good  calls 
the  shark,  { the  most  dreadful  of  all  the 
monsters  of  the  sea.'  And  says,  £  the  white 
shark  often  extends  to  thirty  feet  in  length, 
and  four  thousand  pounds  in  weight,  fol- 
lows ships  with  a  view  of  devouring  every 
thing  that  comes  in  his  way,  and  has  been 
occasionally  known  to  swallow  a  man 
whole  at  a  mouthful.  But  in  order  to  guard 
us  in  some  degree  against  the  perils  of  their 
presence,  a  peculiar  stream  of  light  issues 
in  the  dark  from  their  bodies,  which  can- 
not well  be  mistaken;  and  as  some  com- 
pensation for  their  rapacity,  we  obtain  from 
their  liver  a  large  quantity  of  useful  oil, 
and  find  in  their  skin  a  very  valuable  ma- 
16 


183  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

terial  for  carriage  traces  in  some  countries, 
and  for  polishing  wood,  ivory,  and  other 
hard  substances  in  all  countries.' — Page  185. 
When  we  first  look  at  this  family  of  vora- 
cious sea-monsters,"  continued  Mr.  Benson, 
"  we  may  be  tempted  to  ask  why  the  mer- 
ciful Creator  has  formed  such  beings,  which 
are  capable  of  inflicting  so  many  tortures 
on  man?  But  our  perplexities  are  in  a 
measure  removed  by  the  recollection  that 
these  accidents,  awful  as  they  undoubtedly 
are,  happen  but  seldom :  while  the  shark  is 
daily  performing  a  work  which  is  highly 
serviceable  to  mankind  ;  for  he  may  be 
called  the  scavenger  of  the  ocean,  and  re- 
moves all  those  offensive  floating  carcasses, 
which  would  otherwise  greatly  annoy,  and 
perhaps  seriously  affect  the  health  of  many. 
If  the  vast  families  which  people  the 
mighty  deep  had  been  permitted  to  go  on 
increasing  without  being  destroyed  by  each 
other,  the  ocean  would,  as  Mr.  Kirby  ob- 
serves, have  been  in  time  filled  with  them, 
and  its  waters  have  overspread  the  land. 
And  even,  my  dear   children,  if  we  are 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  183 

wholly  unable  to  account  for  God's  dealings 
with  us,  or  with  the  rest  of  the  animal 
world,  we  ought  to  remember  that  these 
very  mysteries  may  have  been  permitted 
to  exist  to  exercise  our  faith.  Our  blessed 
Redeemer  commended,  in  anticipation,  those 
who  should  believe  on  Him,  without  seeing 
Him ;  and  no  doubt  He  will  in  like  man- 
ner, reward  with  his  approbation  those  who 
continue  firmly  to  maintain  an  unshaken 
confidence  in  His  love  and  mercy,  though 
they  know  such  facts  exist  as  those  we  have 
alluded  to,  in  the  history  of  the  shark,  and 
other  voracious  animals,  and  which  they 
cannot  reconcile  with  their  ideas  of  His 
love.  With  regard  to  the  other  fish  you 
wished  me  to  describe,  Emma,  I  suppose  it 
is  scarcely  necessary  to  state,  that  the  sword- 
fish  receives  its  name  from  the  long  ap- 
pendage to  its  head,  with  which  it  has  been 
furnished  as  an  instrument  for  attacking  its 
enemies.  The  largest  species  measures,  I 
believe,  from  15  to  20  feet.  You  have,  I 
dare  say,  heard  of  a  fragment  of  a  vessel 
which  is  preserved  in  one  of  the  museums 


'184  A  VISIT  TO  NAIIANT. 

of  London,  containing  the  sword  of  one  of 
these  fish.  This  animal,  it  is  said,*  fol- 
lowed an  East  India  vessel,  and  attacked  it 
with  such  prodigious  force  that  it  thrust  its 
sword  entirely  through  the  timber  of  the 
vessel,  which  would  have  been  inevitably 
destroyed  by  the  leak  thus  made,  had  not 
the  animal  been  providentially  killed  by  its 
own  violence.  The  sword  thus  remained 
in  the  wood,  and  when  the  vessel  reached 
England,  the  timber  containing  it  was 
sawed  out  and  taken  to  the  British  Muse* 
um,  as  a  curiosity  worth  preserving." 

When  Edward's  turn  came,  he  requested 
his  uncle  to  describe  the  curious  eel,  or  fish, 
he  did  not  know  which  it  was,  that  had  the 
power  of  giving  an  electric  shock  to  those 
who  handled  it. 

When  Edward  named  his  subject  of  in- 
quiry, his  uncle  smiled,  and  observed,  "I 
am  bound  to  commend  your  choice,  be- 
cause it  happens  to  be  the  same  which  I 
had  made  previously,  and  to  describe  which 
accurately,  I  have  been  consulting  different 

*  Good's  Book  of  Nature. 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  185 

authors,  and  collecting  all  possible  infor- 
mation within  my  reach.  You  said,  Ed- 
ward, that  you  were  uncertain  whether  it 
was  an  eel,  or  another  sort  of  fish,  which 
possessed  the  extraordinary  power  of  in- 
flicting an  electrical  shock.  This  pheno- 
menon is  not,  however,  confined  to  one 
kind  of  fish,  but  is  shared  by  five  different 
genera  ;  of  these,  two  are  particularly  wor- 
thy of  notice.  The  gymnotus  electricus, 
or  electric  eel,  belongs  to  one  of  these  two, 
and  the  torpedo  to  another.  I  told  you  that 
I  had  consulted  various  authors,  when  pre- 
paring to  give  you  information  on  this  sub- 
ject ;  not  one  of  these,  however,  in  fulness 
of  description,  or  in  interest,  is  at  all  to  be 
compared  with  Mr.  Kirby  ;  and  despairing 
of  clothing  his  ideas  in  any  language  of  my 
own  selection,  that  could  be  at  all  equal  in 
clearness  to  his,  I  have  simply  collected 
such  of  his  observations  as  I  thought  would 
be  most  interesting,  and  copied  them  out 
for  you,  and  have  taken  the  liberty  of  sub- 
stituting occasionally  more  simple  words 
and  expressions  than  those  he  makes  use  of, 

10* 


186  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

because  I  thought  that  by  so  doing  I  should 
render  the  account  more  intelligible  to  your 
youthful  minds.  I  will  now  give  you  my 
abridgment  of  Mr.  Kirby's  history  of  the 
electric  fishes.  '  Amongst  all  the  diversi- 
fied faculties,  powers,  and  organs,  with 
which  supreme  wisdom  has  gifted  the  men> 
bers  of  the  animal  kingdom,  as  a  means  of 
defence  from  their  enemies,  or  for  securing 
for  themselves  a  due  supply  of  food,  none 
are  more  remarkable  than  those  by  which 
they  can  give  them  an  electric  shock,  and 
arrest  them  in  their  course,  whether  they 
are  assailants  or  fugitives.  That  God 
should  arm  certain  fishes  in  some  sense 
with  the  lightning  of  the  clouds,  and  enable 
them  thus  to  employ  an  element  so  power- 
ful and  irresistible,  in  the  same  manner 
that  we  make  use  of  gunpowder,  to  astound, 
and  smite,  and  stupefy,  and  kill  the  in- 
habitants of  the  waters,  is  one  of  those  won- 
ders of  an  almighty  arm  which  no  inhab- 
itant of  the  land  is  gifted  to  exhibit.  For 
though  some  quadrupeds,  as  the  cat,  are 
known  at  certain  times  to  collect  the  elec- 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  187 

trie  fluid  in  their  fur,  so  as  to  give  a  slight 
shock  to  the  hand  that  strokes  them,  it  has 
never  been  clearly  ascertained  that  they 
can  employ  it  to  arrest  or  bewilder  their 
prey  so  as  to  prevent  their  escape.  Even 
man  himself,  though  he  can  charge  his  bat- 
teries with  this  element,  and  again  dis- 
charge them,  has  not  yet  so  subjected  it  to 
his  dominion,  as  to  use  it  independently  of 
other  substances,  offensively  and  defensive- 
ly, as  the  electric  fishes  do.  The  faculty 
of  the  torpedo  to  benumb  its  prey  was 
known  to  the  ancients,  and  one  of  them 
tells  his  readers,  that,  conscious  of  its  pow- 
er, it  hides  itself  in  the  mud,  and  benumbs 
the  unsuspecting  fishes  that  swim  over  it. 
The  Arabians  observed  this  power,  and 
gave  the  two  genera  of  electric  fishes  known 
to  them,  the  name  raash,  which  signifies 
thunder.  The  electric  organ  in  one  of  the 
four  genera  we  have  noticed,  extends  all 
round  the  animal  immediately  under  the 
skin,  and  is  formed  of  a  coating  of  fibres  in- 
terlaced together  so  as  to  make  a  network, 
the  cells  of  which  are  rilled  with  a  jelly- 


188  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

like  matter.  The  torpedo  is  the  most  cele- 
brated of  all  the  electric  fishes.  In  this  the 
organ  of  its  power  extends  on  each  side 
from  the  head  and  gills,  to  the  lower  part 
of  the  stomach,  in  which  space  it  fills  all 
the  interior  of  the  body.  Each  organ  is 
attached  to  the  parts  that  surround  it  by  a 
thin  skin,  and  by  a  number  of  fibres.  Un- 
der the  skin  which  covers  the  upper  part 
of  these  organs,  are  two  bands,  one  above, 
the  other  below ;  the  upper  one  consisting 
of  fibres  running  lengthwise,  and  the  under 
one  of  others  running  crosswise.  The  lat- 
ter continues  itself  in  the  organ  by  means 
of  a  great  number  of  little  tubes,  which  are 
hollow  ;  some  of  them  are  six-sided,  others 
five-sided,  others  four-sided  :  each  of  these 
little  tubes  is  divided  in  the  inside  into  a 
number  of  smaller  parts,  connected  by  blood- 
vessels. In  each  of  the  organs,  which,  as  I 
have  said  previously,  run  down  the  two 
sides  of  the  torpedo  from  the  head  to  the 
lower  part  of  the  stomach,  from  two  hun- 
dred to  twelve  hundred  of  theso  tubes  have 
been  counted,  according  to  the  different  size 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  189 

and  age  of  the  animal.  The  torpedo  has 
all  these  numerous  tubes,  which  may  be 
compared  to  long  rows  of  vials  charged 
with  electric  matter,  with  which  they  make 
attacks.  Almost  always  concealed  in  the 
mud,  like  most  of  the  Rays,  they  can  by 
these  weapons  kill  the  small  fishes  that 
come  within  the  sphere  of  their  action,  or 
benumb  the  large  ones  ;  if  they  are  in  dan- 
ger of  attack  from  any  voracious  fish,  they 
can  disable  him  by  invisible  blows,  more 
to  be  dreaded  than  are  the  teeth  of  the 
shark  itself.  The  gymnotus,  or  electric 
eel,  is  a  still  more  tremendous  assailant, 
both  of  the  inhabitants  of  its  own  element, 
and  even  of  large  quadrupeds,  and  of  man 
himself,  if  he  puts  himself  in  its  way.  Its 
force  is  said  to  be  ten  times  greater  than 
that  of  the  torpedo.  This  animal  is  a  na- 
tive of  South  America.  In  the  immense 
plains  of  the  Llanos  in  the  province  of 
Caraccas,  is  a  city  called  Calaboza,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  which,  these  eels  abound 
in  small  streams,  insomuch  that  a  road  for- 
merly much  frequented,  was  abandoned  on 


190  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

account  of  them,  it  being  necessary  to  cross 
a  rivulet,  in  which  many  mules  were  lost 
annually  by  reason  of  their  attacks.  They 
are  very  common  in  ponds,  from  the  equa- 
tor to  the  ninth  degree  of  north  latitude. 
Contrary  to  what  takes  place  in  the  torpedo, 
the  electric  organs  of  the  gymnotus  are 
placed  under  the  tail,  in  a  place  removed 
from  the  vital  ones.  It  has  four  of  these 
organs,  two  large  and  two  small,  which  oc- 
cupy a  third  of  the  whole  fish.  These  four 
are  subdivided  into  many  small  parts,  thirty- 
four  having  been  counted  in  one  of  the 
large,  and  fourteen  in  one  of  the  smaller 
organs.  It  is  by  this  vast  fourfold  appara- 
tus that  the  animal  is  able  to  inflict  its  vio- 
lent shocks.  Humboldt  tells  us  that  from 
placing  his  two  feet  on  one  of  these  fishes 
just  taken  out  of  the  water,  he  received  a 
shock  more  violent  and  alarming  than  any 
he  ever  experienced  from  the  discharge  of 
a  large  electric  jar  ;  and  for  the  rest  of  the 
day  he  felt  an  acute  pain  in  his  knees  and 
almost  all  his  joints.  Such  a  shock  he 
thinks,  if  the  animal  passed  over  the  breast 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  191 

or  stomach,  might  be  mortal.  It  is  stated 
that  when  the  animal  is  touched  with  only- 
one  hand,  the  shock  is  very  slight  ;  but 
when  two  hands  are  applied  at  a  sufficient 
distance,  a  shock  is  sometimes  given  so 
powerful  as  to  affect  the  arms  with  a  paraly- 
sis for  many  years.  Humboldt  gives  a  very 
spirited  account  of  the  manner  of  taking 
this  animal,  which  is  done  by  compelling 
twenty  or  thirty  wild  horses  and  mules  to 
take  the  water.  The  Indians  surround  the 
basin  into  which  they  are  driven,  armed 
with  long  canes ;  some  mount  the  trees 
whose  branches  hang  over  the  water,  all 
endeavoring  by  their  cries  and  canes  to 
keep  the  horses  from  escaping  ;  for  a  long 
time  the  victory  seems  doubtful,  or  to  in- 
cline to  the  fishes.  The  mules,  disabledby 
the  frequency  and  force  of  the  shocks,  dis- 
appear under  the  water  ;  and  some  horses, 
in  spite  of  the  active  vigilance  of  the  In- 
dians gain  the  banks,  and  overcome  by  fa- 
tigue, and  benumbed  by  the  shocks  which 
they  have  received,  stretch  themselves  at 
their  length  on  the  gre  vid.     There  could 


192  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

not,  says  Humboldt,  be  a  finer  subject  for  a 
painter  ;  groups  of  Indians  surrounding 
the  basin  ;  the  horses,  with  their  hair  on 
end,  and  terror  and  agony  in  their  eyes, 
endeavoring  to  escape  the  tempest  that  has 
overtaken  them;  the  eels,  yellowish  and 
livid,  looking  like  great  aquatic  serpents, 
swimming  on  the  surface  of  the  water  in 
pursuit  of  the  enemy.  In  a  few  minutes 
two  horses  were  drowned ;  the  eel,  more 
than  five  feet  long,  gliding  under  the  bodies 
of  the  animals,  made  a  discharge  of  the 
electric  matter  on  the  whole  extent,  attack- 
ing at  the  moment  the  heart,  and  the  other 
vital  parts.  The  animals,  stupified  by  these 
repeated  shocks,  fell  into  a  profound  stupor, 
and  deprived  of  all  sense,  sank  under  the 
water,  when  the  other  horses  and  mules 
passing  over  their  bodies  they  were  soon 
drowned.  The  eels  h  uvinsr  thus  discharged 
the  quantity  of  the  electric  fluid  collected 
in  them,  then  became  harmless,  and  were 
no  longer  objects  of  dread.  Swimming  half 
out  of  the  water,  they  then  flee  from  the 
horses  instead  of  attacking  them ;  and  it 


A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT.  193 

they  enter  the  water  the  day  after  the  bat- 
tle they  are  not  molested,  for  these  fishes 
require  repose  and  plenty  of  food  to  enable 
them  to  collect  again  a  supply  of  electric 
matter.  It  is  probable  that  they  can  act  at 
a  distance,  and  that  they  can  inflict  a  shock 
through  a  thick  mass  of  water.  It  is  even 
asserted  that  they  can  do  this  when  the 
object  of  their  attack  is  removed  from  them 
so  far  as  sixteen  feet.  There  is  another 
little  fish  of  a  very  different  tribe,  which 
emulates  the  electric  ones  in  bringing  its 
prey  within  reach,  by  discharging  a  grosser 
element  at  them.  It  belongs  to  a  genus, 
the  different  species  of  which  are  remarka- 
ble for  the  singularity  of  their  forms,  the 
brilliancy  of  their  colors,  and  the  vivacity 
of  their  movements.  The  species  I  allude 
to  may  be  called  the  fly-shooter,  from  its 
food  being  principally  flies  and  other  in- 
sects, especially  those  that  frequent  aquatic 
plants  and  places.  These,  as  Sir  Charles 
Bell  relates,  shoot  their  prey,  as  it  were, 
with  a  drop  of  water.'  " — Kirby. 

The  little  girls  had  entered  so  completely 
17 


1&4  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

into  the  spirit  of  the  author's  narrative,  that 
by  the  time  their  uncle  had  concluded 
reading  it,  they  had  drawn  their  seats  close 
to  him,  as  if  they  too  feared  an  attack  from 
these  concealed  foes,  and  were  desirous  of 
ensuring  his  protection. 

"Dear  uncle,"  observed  Emma,  "I  felt 
at  first  almost  sorry  when  you  told  us  that 
you  intended  to  choose  fishes  for  the  sub- 
ject that  you  were  going  to  talk  to  us  about, 
and  I  thought  they  were  among  the  last 
things  that  I  should  have  fixed  on  ;  but 
now  I  am  very  glad  that  you  did  not  let 
me  select  for  myself,  for  I  am  sure  I  could 
not  have  found  any  thing  that  interested 
me  more,  particularly  the  account  of  these 
electric  fishes." 

"It  should  convince  you,  Emma,"  re- 
plied Mr.  Benson,  "  that  all  the  <  works  of 
the  Lord  are  great,'  and  worthy  of  being 
searched  into  by  all  His  people.  <  All  of 
them,'  as  Mr.  Kirby  justly  observes,  c  in 
their  several  stations,  and  by  their  several 
operations,  glorify  their  almighty  Author, 
by  fulfilling  His  will.      You  have  heard  of 


A  VISIT  TO   NAHANT.  195 

many  '  wonders  of  the  deep'  this  summer 
since  your  visit  to  Nahant,  and  you  have 
mentioned  many  more  that  were  related  to 
you,  during  your  former  visit  to  the  sea- 
shore, by  your  excellent  mother  and  old 
Robert  ;*  I  trust  that  the  impression  thus 
made,  will  not  readily  be  effaced,  but  on  the 
contrary,  may  be  the  means  of  leading  you 
still  further  in  your  researches  into  the 
temple  of  truth,  the  two  doors  of  entrance 
into  which,  have  been  said  to  lie,  one  in  the 
works  of  God,  and  the  other  in  His  word." 
When  the  hour  came  which  was  to  be 
the  signal  of  the  departure  of  the  Stanley 
family  from  the  roof  of  the  hospitable  Mr. 
Benson,  it  found  them  all  reconciled  to  their 
separation,  from  the  thoughts  of  its  being 
so  short  a  time  before  they  would  re-assem- 
ble again  in  Boston  to  constitute  a  united 
family.  Agreeably  to  this  plan,  when  De- 
cember arrived  they  were  comfortably  fixed 
in  their  new  residence.  The  day  was 
spent  by  Edward  in  his  uncle's  counting- 
house,  and  by  the  little  girls  in  the  school- 

*  For  the  account  of  these,  see  "  Wonders  of  the  Deep." 


196  A  VISIT  TO  NAHANT. 

room  with  their  excellent  mother  ;  but 
when  night  closed  in,  the  happy  family  as- 
sembled in  Mr.  Benson's  comfortable  par- 
lor, and  the  hours  rolled  by  rapidly,  while 
the  females  of  the  party  were  engaged  with 
their  needle,  and  while  Mr.  Benson  and 
Edward  alternately  read  to  them  some 
agreeable  or  instructive  book. 


BEAUTIFUL    JUVENILE    BOOKS. 


Clje  |0D  attfr  f  l)e  Jirta. 


BY    EMILY    TAYLOR 


WITH    TWENTY-FIVE    BEAUTIFUL    ENGRAVINGS. 

ffifjt'eflg  from  Hantism'g  JBwtijrts. 


(25) 


BEAUTIFUL    JUVENILE    BOOKS. 

"  We  are  indebted  to  Mr.  Dana  for  several  of  the 
volumes  issued  by  the  S.  S.  Union — and  know  not 
which  the  more  to  approve — the  pure  and  elevated 
morality  which  pervades  them — or  the  very  beautiful 
style  in  which  they  are  published.  Most  especially  do 
we  esteem  the  Allegories  of  the  Rev.  Wm.  Adams  and 
the  Rev.  Edward  A.  Monro — all  of  which  are  re-printed 
from  the  London  editions,  with  original,  and  very 
chaste  illustrations,  by  New- York  artists.  Mr.  Adams' 
Allegories  are  entitled,  Qty  Sfja&oto  of  tjjc  Cross,  £t)e 
3Bistant  Skills,  and  £t)e  Swing's  J8essenijevs.  Those  of 
Mr.  Monro— Slje  3&ebellers,  etc.,  Efje  JBarfc  a&ttoer,  and 
2EJ)e  <£omoatants.  Each  of  these  is  comprised  in  a  very 
neat  16mo.  volume,  handsomely  bound.  They  are 
delightful  books — conveying  the  purest  lessons,  in  the 
ingenious  guise  of  fiction,  in  a  form  immortalized  by 
Bunyan.  We  know  of  no  choicer  treasures  than  these 
would  be  to  the  young  and  susceptible  mind,  not  per- 
verted by  unhallowed  influences.  Uniform  with  Mr. 
Adams'  exquisite  allegorical  stories,  is  another  volume 
by  him,  entitled,  2T$e  ©lU  fair's  goitre,  a  touching 
and  impressive  story.  The  last  published  of  this  class 
of  the  Society's  books,  is  Jfyzlm  Norton's  CTrtal,  by 
Mrs.  Joseph  C.  Neal,  which  well  deserves  the  high 
companionship  to  which  it  has  been  assigned.  It  is  in 
the  happiest  style  of  that  young  but  gifted  authoress, 
and  must  certainly  give  her  a  high  position  among  the 
writers  of  Juvenile  Books,  than  whom  none  wield  a 
more  potent  influence  for  good  or  for  ill.  Among  the 
cheaper  books  of  the  Union,  varying  from  4  to  16  cents 

(26) 


BEAUTIFUL    JUVENILE    BOOKS. 


each,  in  fancy  paper,  are — JBtar  anti  jForbear,  33essie 
€Jrag,  tfCljarlfe  Burton,  2Ti)c  $etoels,  ©eorge  Austin, 
&c.  They  are  all  beautifully  printed  on  fine  paper. 
We  must  not  omit  to  mention  a  very  beautiful  volume, 
entitled  Q$e  Bog  anD  tfje  3StrQs,  by  Emily  Taylor.  It 
contains  200  pages,  and  numerous  highly-finished  en- 
gravings." 

[Richards'  Weekly  Gazette. 

BY    EMILY    TAYLOR. 

"  It  has  twenty- five  engravings,  chiefly  from  Land- 
seer's  designs.  The  birds  tell  their  own  story,  and  a 
very  pleasing  one,  too.  They  recount  their  own  habits, 
and  describe  their  own  structure,  plumage  and  powers, 
in  a  very  intelligible  language  i  besides  inculcating 
many  a  good  moral  upon  the  youthful  hearer." 

[  Utica  Gospel  Messenger. 

"  These  two  volumes,  {The  Boy  and  the  Birds,  and 
The  Combatants,)  approach  near  to  perfection  in  the 
publication  art ;  and  are  worthy  of  preservation,  as 
specimens  of  typographical  clearness  and  artistic  skill. 
They  are  truly  elegant  gift  books." 

[American  Spectator. 


(27) 


BEAUTIFUL    JUVENILE    BOOKS. 


Jjelen  Morton's  trial. 


BY     MRS.     ALICE     B.     NEAL. 


WITH  TWO   FINE   ENGRAVINGS. 

(28) 


BEAUTIFUL    JUVENILE    BOOKS. 
BY  COUSIN  ALICE. 

"  We  learn  from  the  •  Short  Letter  of  Introduction,' 
that  the  full  name  of  '  Cousin  Alice'  is  Alice  B.  Neal. 
It  is  one  which  will  not  soon  be  forgotten  ;  for  we  hope 
that  the  beautiful  tale  which  she  has  produced,  may  be 
only  the  first  of  a  long  series.  We  can  assure  those 
who  are  interested  in  the  welfare  of  children,  and  look- 
ing round  for  '  Christmas  Presents,'  that  they  will  not 
readily  find  one  which  a  Christian  friend  or  parent  ought 
to  prefer  to  '  Helen  Morton's  Trial.'  " 

[The  True  Catholic. 

"  It  is  a  tale  of  exquisite  sentiment  and  pathos,  re- 
plete with  sound  religious  instruction,  and  written  in  a 
true  Church  spirit.  The  authoress  is  Mrs.  Joseph  C. 
Neal,  and  we  trust  that  this  is  but  the  beginning  of  goodly 
things  from  her  pen  for  the  little  ones  of  Christ's  flock. 
Such  works  will  always  be  most  welcome." 

[The  Churchman. 

"  We  have  received  from  the  Depository  of  the 
General  Protestant  Episcopal  Sunday-School  Union, 
two  beautiful  volumes  with  the  foA  ;wing  titles  : — Helen 
Morton's  irial ;  The  Revellers,  The  Midnight  Sea,  and 
The  Wanderer.  The  first  is  a  sweet,  interesting  story, 
full  of  wisdom  for  the  young ;  and  the  second  contains 
three  Allegories,  which  possess  a  charm  and  simplicity 
not  very  often  or  easily  attained,  in  that  difficult  class 
of  composition.  The  handsome  binding,  gilt  edges,  and 
nice  plates  of  these  little  works,  make  the  setting  quite 
worthy  of  such  gems  of  juvenile  narratives." 

[  The  Protestant  Churchman, 
(29) 


BEAUTIFUL    JUVENILE    BOOKS. 


OR 

/irjst  anfr  %u\  Commnniim 


["You'll  water  my  Geranium,  Nannie  dear,  when  I'm  gone." ] 

BY   THE   AUTHOR  OF   THE    DARK   RIVER,   &c. 
WITH    THREE    FINE    ENGRAVINGS. 


This  is  an  exceedingly  interesting  and  affecting  story,  and 
is.  marked  by  the  characteristic  genius  of  its  author. 

(30) 


BEAUTIFUL    JUVENILE    BOOKS. 


In  (gxErapUnf  ittitrjjnmtt  tn  Innu. 


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WITH   FOUR   FINE   ENGRAVINGS 


This  interesting  little  volume  is  a  re-publication  from  tin 
Edition  of  The  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Know- 
lsdge. 

(31) 


BEAUTIFUL    JUVENILE    BOOKS. 

larrq  anfr  %xt$t ; 

OR,    THE    FIRST    AND    LAST    COMMUNION. 

€\t  Sun?; 

AN  EXAMPLE  OF  ATTACHMENT  TO  HOME. 

Efje  Testament  in  ti)c  £ittle  Coffin; 

OR,    THE    MEMOIRS    OF    CAMERON    MASTEN. 

"  These  are  the  titles  of  three  juvenile  volumes,  from 
the  press  of  the  General  Protestant  Episcopal  Sunday- 
School  Union,  of  an  excellent  character,  and  well- 
adapted  to  secure  the  attention  of  the  young  to  the  im- 
portance of  early  habits  of  religious  thought  and 
profession.  They  are  handsomely  got  up,  and  prettily 
illustrated.  We  have,  also,  from  the  same  press, 
£J  (Efjristmas  Carol*  consisting  of  simple  verses,  com- 
memorative of  the  festival  of  the  Nativity." 

[Protestant  Churchman. 

"  They  are  beautifully  written,  and  make  valuable 
books  for   Sunday    Scholars.     The  scene  of  the  third 
above  named  work  is  laid  in  Western  New- York." 
[  Utica  Gospel  Messenger. 

"  Cameron  Masten  is  a  very  well  told  story,  in  style 
and  language  unusually  suited  to  the  apprehension  of 
Children." 

[The  Calendar. 

(32) 


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